Can parental control software protect children from online violence?

The Internet can allow you to connect to people from every corner of the world and learn about new cultures. It can give us access to seemingly unlimited knowledge at your fingertips. But in today's day and age there are also a lot of dangers lurking on the web.

It seems like most of the major online platforms are struggling to monitor and filter content. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon and Youtube have integrating age restrictions, content warnings, and parental control options. But social media is still a risky place. It's important for parents to be aware of the possible dangers their children face on the web.

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is a relatively new issue and something no previous generation has had to deal with. Today bullies appear less on the playground and more on your child's screens, making it harder for adults to intervene.

• According to Science Daily, around 34% of students have dealt with cyberbullying in their life.

• More than 50% of students who are part of the LGBTQ community have been the target of online bullying, according to Stopbullying.gov.

• Cyber Bullying Research Center reported that 64% of students who suffered from cyberbullying said it had an impact on their ability to learn and feel safe at school.

• 41% think that they developed social anxiety as a result of being bullied online.

• 37% of cyberbullying victims developed depression and 26% admitted that they had suicidal thoughts.

As children get access to electronics at an earlier age their exposure risks to cyber bullying increase. This makes it important to have a serious talk with your children about cyberbullying as soon as they get active online.

Who are online predators?

Online predators are people who pursue children or young adults online in order to exploit them sexually. Approximately one in five children have been sexually solicited by an online predator. It's important that parents educate their kids on the possible consequences of talking to strangers on social media and sharing their personal details with them.

Can parental control software help to protect your children?

Keeping track of kids' online activity can be very difficult. That's why IT companies have started developing "parental control software." A parental control app is a software that allows you to see the activity of the targeted device in real-time. With its help, you can access everything on the phone or tablet—text messages, media files, browser history, location history, and more.

Reasons to use parental control software on your child's device

Some parents hesitate to use parental controls, thinking it's an intrusion of privacy. But you should know it's up to you to decide which of the offered features you want to use. Also let your child know you're using this software, even if they get angry at you. It's better to be safe than sorry.

To help you understand the full potential of parental control software, here are some features:

1. Track the location of the device. The most basic feature of a parental control app is to view the device's location through GPS. When the phone is connected to the Internet, you can see the location history in live mode. mSpy, one of the leaders in the industry, has also incorporated a geofencing feature in their software. This feature gives you the option to input a "forbidden" location you don't want your child to visit and sends you an alarm if the app tracked the device in that area.

2. Monitor social media activity and text messages. While social media tracking is a more advanced feature and there aren't that many apps that can give you access to it, software like mSpy will let you monitor the most popular social networks.

3. Control screen time and block explicit content. This feature will be handy younger children if you want to reduce the amount of time they spend on their devices. The app lets you to set time limits for when they can use the Internet and remotely block the device if needed. You can also restrict access to some potentially inappropriate or dangerous websites.

It's important to talk to your kids about the potential dangers lurking online. Help empower them to make good decisions and let them know they can always talk to you if anything inappropriate arises.

To learn more, visit mspy.com.