6 Ways To Talk To Your Child About Smartphone Monitoring

Guest Post By Scott Reddler

It’s no secret that we are raising children in an increasingly digital environment. They have access to television, gaming consoles, computers, tablets, and smartphones. In fact, most of our sweet boys and girls have no recollection of a time before the Internet or days when everyone had landlines in our homes. And, don’t even get us started on the difficulty of trying to explain dial-up connections or modems to today’s kids.

This modern invasion of technology has offered our families many benefits and perks. We can share information, ideas, and communicate with each other at the swipe of a screen. Within seconds, we can connect to a world of ideas and resources. Smartphones and other devices are allowing people to express themselves in surprising ways. Unfortunately, hidden among all the positives, we are finding out that all of our gadgets and devices are exposing our sons and daughters to some scary and dangerous situations.

Over the past few years we have read or heard the terrifying tales of cyberbullying, sexting scandals, online predators, and identity theft gone wrong. Even with all the negative possibilities, we know our boys and girls will need to understand how to safely use and navigate digital technology, like smartphones. This dark side of today’s tech can find many of us questioning the role we should allow it to play in our children’s lives, because we know that these gadgets and devices aren’t going to disappear, if anything they will become more prevalent in our society, schools, and jobs.

We need to consider that it’s not just our tweens and teens who are at risk for a negative experience. Researchers have found that 90 percent of two-year-olds have moderate capabilities of using a tablet. If that’s not eye opening, most children receive their first smartphone between the age of ten and twelve. It’s our duty as parents, to be responsible with what our kids are exposed to by helping surround them with positive and encouraging experiences.

One way we can do that is by teaching them social media etiquette and instilling a healthy respect for the power of words, images, and the Internet. Thankfully, we can help our kids develop these needed skills is by beginning an ongoing discussion about technology use and monitoring their smartphone or devices. Afterall, it’s a given that we want to give our kids the best possible start in life.

For more information about how to talk to your child about smartphone monitoring, please read the following infographic from the creative minds at Teensafe.com:

Infographic credits: https://www.teensafe.com/

Scott Reddler is an active software developer, water sports fan, and a loving and enthusiastic father of three. He uses his knowledge of new technology to understand how social media and apps are changing the parenting landscape. He enjoys taking his children out for boat rides and exploring his lovely state of Florida.