INDIANAPOLIS — With a phone or a tablet, our kids have the world at their fingertips. That can be helpful, but it can also be dangerous.
From cyberbullying to online predators, protecting kids in the digital age has never been more important. Social media safety experts say it’s critical to have open conversations about it with your family.
“Let them know everything,” said Steve Webb, a social media intelligence expert. “Give them specific instances of what's going on and what can go wrong.”
Do your research
Webb says it’s important for parents to do their research. Write down every app your child has on their device and look it up online to see what it is and what others are saying about it. Find out which apps are safe and which ones are not.
“And know what's bad about them and fix that and make sure they are not on your child's phone,” Webb said.
That includes any app that allows people to text your kids anonymously.
"Anytime you’ve got anything that pops up under 'anonymous' ... it should never be on there," Webb said.
Take control
Next, take control. Webb says parents should have complete control of the app center on the phone. Don’t allow your child to have the download password.
Theo Alexander, AT&T Indianapolis director of sales, said you can help block inappropriate content on your child’s phone by changing their privacy settings.
For example, turn on "safe search" in their Google browsing filter.
“So if things do come up, it blocks it so it doesn't even hit their device,” Alexander said.
Check in regularly
Finally, check in. Monitor your children’s app usage regularly.
"We need to be aware of what they're doing, what technology they're using, and we need to be able to communicate with them why it’s dangerous,” Webb said.
Daniel Berry, an internet safety expert and former internet crimes against children investigator, said the challenge is that technology is always evolving.
"And parents often get caught behind,” Berry said. “But the best advice I can give to parents is stay involved in your child's life. Look at those devices, keep them in hand. Know what they're doing. Most of the time when kids are getting into trouble, it's because parents aren't paying attention.”