The Fab Mom On 2: Should Parents Spy On Teenagers?
A recent article in the New York Times discussed research about the pros and cons of parents who "spy" on their teenage children. According to varied findings and experts, teens can turn more secretive if they discover their parents snooping behind their backs.
The solution? Parents should be forthcoming and tell their children they will be monitoring their activity online and in real life for purposes of safety.
Social-media accounts for kids should be opened using the parents' usernames and passwords so all online activity may be monitored by the parent as well as an internet tracking program connected to home computers and family mobile devices. There are hundreds to choose from, but here are a few that notify parents with timely reports of apps and programs downloaded as well as deleted text messages, pictures and content:
Also, be aware that students can utilize Gmail accounts (created at school as part of the curriculum) to download apps and create social-media profiles.
Los Angeles parents and educators can attend SafeSmartSocial.com's Digital Citizenship Conference on Friday to learn digital-safety trends and tactics from over 100 local experts and educators. More information about tickets here.
Jill Simonian is an Author and Parenting Lifestyle Contributor, appearing on CBS Los Angeles every Wednesday on News at 5pm and Friday mornings at 6:45am. Her personal blog is TheFabMom.com. Follow Jill on Twitter @jillsimonian and connect with her on Facebook.
