Guest Contributor: Ashley Moss

As parents we know that giving our children access to the internet can feel overwhelming at times and the rapid speed at which the digital world is developing can make navigating it all a little more concerning.

Very few parents give completely unrestricted online access to their children, but even while being conservative, it is always good to evaluate how we are teaching our children internet safety and how we are protecting them online.

June is Internet Safety Month so this would be a great time make sure we are doing everything to keep our children safe online. I have gathered a few resources that will make this easier as a parent and make the task feel less daunting.

Protect Young Eyes

Protect Young Eyes is one of my favorite resources to use when helping my children navigate the online world. This site has a blog that offers current updates of what is going on in the digital world as well as a resource page with a list of things you can use in your home and on your phones to keep your internet safe. PYE stays current on new apps giving parents the details of apps your children might want, as well as why they may or may not be safe. This website also teaches parents the parental controls on different apps and sites and possible ways your children might work around them so you can stay one step ahead.

Protect Young Eyes (@protectyoungeyes) also has an active Instagram account that keeps you up to date with the same information as the website.

Not only does PYE give parents information on what their kids might be exposed to, but they offer help on how to have conversations with your children about online predators and exposure to pornography. Protect Young Eyes is an incredible resource that would benefit every parent and child.

MMGuardian

Once our children are at the age where they have a phone, then as a parent it is our job to protect our children while on their phone. There are many parental control apps that a parent can use to help their child have restricted access to certain phone features. We personally use MMGuardian and the features on the app have been incredibly helpful.

MMGuardian offers the basic parental controls you would expect such as screen time limits and location tracker. But the other features on the app were even more appealing to us as parents. We were able to disable the internet and our child can only use apps we have approved. Contacts cannot be added without a parent approving the contact and adding them to a safe list. The child cannot receive a text message or phone call from anyone who is not on the safe list the parent has created. We are alerted if a picture is taken, sent, or received that might have sensitive content. We were also able to create a list of words that will send us an alert if our child uses or receives those words in a message. At the end of every night we receive a report where we can read every message received or sent, phone calls made, and apps that were used.

This app has helped make the transition to our child having a phone a little smoother and less worrisome.

Bark Technologies

IG@barktechnologies

Bark Technologies is another parental control app, similar to MMGuardian. However, Bark Technologies also has an Instagram account that is a wonderful resource for parents.

Bark offers parental advice on raising kids in the digital age. Like Protect Young Eyes, its mission is to educate parents on what children are being exposed to online. It also helps parents understand what slang, emojis, and acronyms teens are sending that possibly have a double meaning so parents can be aware of what their teens might be discussing. It gives tips on how to keep your kids safe online and apps that children should or should not be using. Bark also shares studies that show how our children are influenced by things they encounter online, giving parents the tools to decide whether their child might be ready for that specific app or online access.

Taming the Technology Monster: 8 Guiding Principles for Raising Digital Natives by Sissy Goff

The final resource is the book, Taming the Technology Monster. This book is a short, easy read, that gives parents the tools they need to raise our kids in a digital world. Since we cannot completely avoid technology, the author offers tools on screen time limits, how to safely do screens at all ages, and even offers tips on how and when to introduce technology to our kids. This book gives parents confidence to raise kids to have a healthy relationship with technology.