We get announcements every week about more new “apps” (applications) aimed at our children. How do we stay on top of it all? It’s not easy, and requires diligence and research. Here are some of the resources we’ve found to help us stay on top of the latest options.
Check out app the review site, Common Sense Media, where you can search for an app by age or rating and read the reviews. Geeks With Juniors also has reviews of the best apps for kids.
Identity Force is a company that monitors and protects your identity. Their recent blog, Keeping an Eye on Your Kids Apps, suggests that you have regular conversations with your children about the dangers of online activities and make sure that they keep their most personal information private. They also recommend that you know your child’s password, and check their phone and tablets to see what kinds of texts and pictures they are sharing.
Here are a few popular apps on their Do Not Download list:
• Snapchat and Poke. Remind your kids that anything they send can be saved and shared by the receiver. They really have no control once a text or image is sent, even though the app says it will disappear.
• Whisper. This app allows you to chat anonymously with people in a geographic area. Your children may end up communicating with ill-intentioned strangers.
• Vine. Like YouTube, users can post and watch videos. Unfortunately, porn videos can pop up in the feed and it’s easy to search and access them. Make sure you’re monitoring the videos your children post and watch.
Finally, The National Center For Missing & Exploited Children offers videos on multimedia Internet safety that you can watch with your kids or presentations to download and share with a group. Their extensive list of topics include cyberbullying, social networking and online safety.
It’s well worth the time to make sure your children are staying safe in this age of constantly changing technology!