Kids these days are online and on their devices 24/7 and as a parent, it makes it very hard to monitor what they are doing, what sites they are going to, could they be doing something improper or being cyberbullied. Here is a list of tips and resources to help any parent monitor their kids online, on social media, messaging platforms and more.

Cyber Security Basics for Kids and Adults

• – Understand the dangers of WiFi and make sure you use a secure connection in public by using your phone’s personal hotspot or use a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
• – Have strong passwords on all your accounts using a strategy like the Base Psychology Method
• – Be aware of phishing scams and be sure to slow down and pay attention for sometimes obvious tip-offs like header information, misspellings, improper URL links, etc. and stop clicking on links unless you know they are legit and totally safe.
• – Make sure you have optimal anti-virus protection on all of your devices.  Recommended ones include AVG, Avast, and Malware Bytes.
• – Be proactive in protecting your online reputation and realize that anything you put online is accessible to the world and can have a permanent negative impact.  Be sure to discuss with your kids that a single post online can lead to bullying at their school and loss of friends/status now, but down the road could cost them the ability to get a good job, entry into their desired college, etc.

How to Set Up Parental Controls on All Their Devices

• – Microsoft 10 or Xbox = family.microsoft.com and turn on Ask a Parent
• – MAC = System Preferences > Family Sharing
• – iOS = Settings > Screen Time > This is My Childs Device https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201304
• – Android = Play Store > Settings > Parental Controls > Create a Pin
• – Chrome Browser = Profile Picture > Manage People > Add Person > For My Child

How to Disable Incognito Mode in Chrome

• – Windows 10 https://geekermag.com/disable-incognito-mode-chrome-windows-10/
• – MAC – https://www.technipages.com/chrome-disable-incognito-mode
• – iOS – https://osxdaily.com/2018/02/14/disable-private-browsing-ios-completely/
• – Android – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.beatapper.disablesecret
• Note: You will need to deactivate registry keys which require some technical skill/understanding, so you may need to seek assistance for this if you are not tech-savvy. If your kids use other browsers such as Firefox, Edge, Safari, etc. you can google instructions on how to disable private browsing windows in each browser.

Safe Online Resources

• https://www.commonsensemedia.org/
• https://www.commonsensemedia.org/website-lists

Safe Search & Browsing

• http://www.kiddle.co
• http://kidoz.net
• http://www.kidzsearch.com
• http://www.kidsclick.org
• www.safesearchkids.com

Safe School & Learning

• I-Ready.com
• ProdigyGame.com
• Pebblego.com
• Bookflix
• ABCMouse.com
• KahnAcademy.org/Kahn-Academy-Kids/
• Kids.NationalGeographic.com
• https://www.youtubekids.com
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kid
• http://www.getgamesmart.com Gaming info

Safe News

• http://press4kids.com/
• http://news.nick.com/
• http://tweentribune.com/
• http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/
• http://www.getgamesmart.com Gaming info

Safe Communication

• https://messengerkids.com/

Cyber Bullying

• http://cyberbullying.us/index.php Cyber Bullying
• http://www.dosomething.org Bullying & Cyber Bullying

Tools to Monitor Your Kids Online Activity

• – Life360.com – Private Circles allows you to see and track your family’s locations, activities, etc. in real-time, be notified if any member goes to restricted areas, has a low battery level, etc. for free.  Add local area crime and offender reporting for $2.99/mo and driver tracking for $7.99/mo
• – NetNanny.com, Qustodio.com, WebWatcher.com, FamilyTime.io, EsEt.com – Monitor, track, restrict and block your kids’ online activity, downloads, installs, purchases, etc. Prices vary based on the vendor and how many devices you need to monitor.
• – Bark.us – Tracks activity on over 20 social media, SMS Text and messaging platforms including Snapchat, TicToc, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc. and even uses AI to try and detect any potentially harmful activity such as cyberbullying or inappropriate content. $9/mo for unlimited kids and devices.