Wednesday, October 12th has come to be known as National Stop Bullying Day. A little brief history for you.

National Stop Bullying Day: How Can You Do Your Part?

Here are 4 ways you can use FamilyKeeper to keep your kids safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Child safety during Coronavirus (COVID-19)

How to keep our kids safe online while giving them the space they need to grow.

Let Your Kids Spread Their Wings, Safely!

How to balance your kids’ need for technology with your need to protect them.

Worried about cyberthreats? Get your kids a digital helmet!

The current dangers of overexposure to YouTube.

The Dangers of YouTube

Cyberbullying is a type of bullying that happens over digital devices like smartphones, computers and tablets.

Cyberbullying - What You Need To Know

The three main indicators of Screen Addiction that you should watch out for

The Dangers of Screen Addiction

When discussing cyberbullying with your children, it’s hugely important to keep the lines of communication open. The more confident youngsters feel in discussing their online activity, the more autonomy it will give them in terms of pushing back against cyberbullies.

How to Help Your Kids Prevent Cyberbullying

With in-app purchases, it is all too easy to rack up the credit card bill by paying for added extras – whether it’s accidentally or on purpose.

Kids vs. In-App Purchases: 6 Tips to Prevent a Surprise Hefty Bill!

Here are a few tips to help you with gifting digital devices this Christmas.

New Phone for Christmas? Here’s How to Keep Your Kids Safe Online

The aim of Safer Internet Day is to make the internet a safer place, for kids in particular, by raising awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns – from cyberbullying to social networking to digital identity.

Safer Internet Day: What Can We Do to Effect Change?

These five tips aim to help parents manage the unwitting dangers of screen time in a practical and purposeful way.

5 Simple Tips to Manage Kids’ Screen Time

We’ve put together 5 Pillars of Cyberbullying Prevention for parents to easily implement in the fight against cyberbullying.

5 Tips for Parents to Help Stop Cyberbullying

International Stand Up to Bullying Day is a semi-annual event to raise public awareness around bullying in all its forms.

Don't Be a Bystander: It's International Stand Up to Bullying Day!

We’ve delved into the heart of social media use to find the 5 most prominent dangers that we need to be aware of.

The Dark Side of Social Media: 5 Dangers to Be Wary Of

This International Children’s Book Day, whether your child is holding a tablet or a physical book, it’s time to explore the world of children’s literature.

International Children’s Book Day: Switch Off Screens and Curl Up with a Good Book!

Our job is to keep you and your family cyber safe – so this year, enjoy our top tips for a stress-free Easter!

3 Tips to Keep Your Loved Ones Cyber Safe this Easter!

Over 40% of teenagers have reported experiencing loneliness as a result of social media – an astonishing figure considering that ‘social’ implies togetherness.

40% of Teenagers Experience Loneliness. Help Protect Them With These 3 Steps

Social media platforms, chatrooms, WhatsApp and text messaging, online gaming – the advent of web-based connections is affecting our ability to form face-to-face relationships with people.

Too Much Screen Time? Risks, Dangers, and What We Can Do to Help

As adults, we may have trained ourselves to function on less sleep – but try reasoning with an overtired toddler or a moody teenager and you may well be on a mission to lessen screen time, and create a more serene bedtime experience for your family!

Put Those Screens Away! 4 Ways To Make Bedtime Easier

National Missing Children’s Day serves as a reminder that we should continue our efforts to reunite missing children with their families.

Keeping Our Children Safe – The No. 1 Priority Of All Parents

We’ve rounded up 5 top apps that provide educational value this summer – so that you can get stuff done, your children can be happily occupied, and they learn a little something too!

Can Screen Time be Beneficial? 5 Apps with Educational Value

How do you set the boundaries when your child receives a phone? And how do you keep your kids safe from online harm? Never fear - we've got you covered!

Back to School, Back to Routine. Why Do I Need A Parental Control App?

Which are the latest dangerous crazes that have emerged from social media?

Online Threats To Be Aware Of: 3 Dangerous TikTok Challenges

Wednesday, October 12th has come to be known as National Stop Bullying Day.

FamilyKeeper has rounded up the top apps to help you and your kids enhance Thanksgiving.

Top Apps To Enhance This Year’s Thanksgiving With Your Kids

Cyberbullying can affect a victim’s self-esteem, self-confidence, social behavior, school work, self-worth, and self-awareness, and lead to extremities such as self-harm and in the worst cases, even suicide.

Cyberbullying on Social Media: When Does It Become Violent?

There are more new apps than ever exploding onto the scene. We’ve rounded up the top 3 new apps that parents ought to know about.

Three Popular Apps in 2023 That Parents Should Know About

There are some inherent risks that parents and guardians should be aware of when it comes to their kids and Discord's safety.

Is Discord Safe For Kids? Everything You Need To Know

There are so many popular apps for kids in 2023, but there are several genres of mobile apps that parents should be concerned about. So which popular apps should you consider blocking?

Dangerous Apps To Block: How To Block Apps And Why

The content of YouTube Shorts varies widely, and while some YouTube Shorts may be appropriate for kids, others may not be.

Are YouTube Shorts Safe For Kids? How to Block YouTube Shorts

Why should parents use a web content filtering solution? And how is it used to block harmful websites?

How Do I Safeguard My Child Online? Web Content Filtering in Parental Control Apps

In this blog, we will explore what screen addiction is, why it is detrimental to young minds, and how parental control apps can help prevent and manage this issue.

Prevent Screen Addiction & Tips for Screen Addiction Treatment

Instagram Threads is relatively new - but is it safe to use? Everything parents need to know

Is Instagram Threads Safe for Kids? The Risks You Should Know

Sharing 'Back to School' photos of your children online can be a heartwarming way to celebrate their milestones, but it's essential to be aware of security risks, especially with regard to identity theft and online protection. 

Back To School! Is Sharing Photos Online A Risky Thing To Do?

Mukbang has gained immense popularity across various social media platforms, particularly on video-sharing sites like YouTube, Twitch, and platforms that support live streaming. But what does 'mukbang' and ASMR mean?

What Is Mukbang and ASMR? Effects Of This Social Media Trend

Every October, the spotlight shines on National Bullying Prevention Month, a vital initiative dedicated to raising awareness about bullying and its various forms.

National Bullying Prevention Month: Combat Cyberbullying with FamilyKeeper

Selecting the right phone for your child involves thoughtful consideration of factors such as age, features, and parental controls. In this guide, we'll explore how to choose your child's first phone, the potential dangers mobile phones pose for kids, and the role of parental control apps, like FamilyKeeper, in ensuring their safety.

Child's First Phone for Christmas? How To Navigate the Gift of Independence

While TikTok provides a space for creativity and self-expression, it has also witnessed the emergence of dangerous TikTok challenges that pose serious risks to the safety and well-being of users, especially teens.

Latest TikTok Challenges: Did You Know These Are Happening?

Children are growing up surrounded by technology - not all of which is safe! We’re rounded up 10 apps that  kids use which parents should be keeping an eye on.



10 Apps That Parents Should Monitor With Parental Controls

Summer is the perfect time to get your kids off their screens and into the great outdoors or engage in creative, hands-on activities. With a little planning and enthusiasm, you can help your children discover the joys of the season while also fostering their development and strengthening family bonds. 


Fun Summer Activities to Reduce Screen Time for Kids

Here are 7 apps to familiarize yourself with in order to best understand what kids may be viewing, how we can find safer ways to monitor them, and how to open up those conversations with your child surrounding if, how and when they should use certain apps.

The 7 Most Dangerous Apps for Kids and Teens

The presence of smartphones in schools has sparked a heated debate among educators, parents, and policymakers. Do smartphones enhance learning and communication, or are they more likely to lead to distraction and cyberbullying?

Why Should Phones Be Allowed In School? Pros & Cons

The word ‘games’ implies fun – but some of these popular online experiences, even those aimed at kids, contain worrying content. Here's what you should be looking out for.

7 Alarming Online Games to Watch Out For

Gacha Games are a relatively new genre of online gaming, whose popularity is on the rise.

What is a Gacha Game? Everything you need to know

"Sneaky link" is a slang term that refers to a secret or discreet meeting between two people who are romantically interested in each other.

Sneaky Link: The What, Who, How, and Why of This Online Slang

Lead gaming app Roblox is an online platform where games can be both made and played by users. With so many varied games on offer, there are games on the platform that aren’t remotely child-friendly or appropriate for all ages.

Worried About Sexual Roblox Content? 5 Games to Look Out For

We live in interesting times. Unfortunately for us, interesting, in the context of the latest news, is more akin to the famous “Chinese curse” than anything positive. Globalization and technology are double-edged swords; they bring with them both tremendous, life-altering benefits that we can no longer imagine living without — like smartphones and the internet — alongside newer digital threats and global health dangers that we’re still learning to come to terms with. 

With the coronavirus [now confirmed as pandemic](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-51839944) by the World Health Organization conferences, sports stadiums, schools and houses of worship across the world are shuttering their doors. But that’s not all. Mass gatherings and public events — even small ones — are being canceled and outright banned left and right. In some regions, quarantines have been put in place across entire cities and counties.

All of this means that most likely, kids will be at home for some time. They’re going to be bored and will look to their smartphones mostly for entertainment, but also as a way to socialize during extended periods of social distancing and mandated quarantine. It’s safe to say that smartphone screen time and app usage will significantly grow during these trying times. 

And with this rise in usage, we can also expect a proportional growth in the potential online dangers and problematic digital behavior that may come along for the ride. 

Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning — we’re not just talking about cyberbullying, online predators and inappropriate usage anymore. Specifically now, in the time of corona, it’s critical that you’re able to keep tabs on your kids’ whereabouts at any given time. This is not just to ensure that they stay away from containment zones and public gatherings where the likelihood of exposure to the coronavirus is particularly high. It’s also to make sure that quarantined children stay at home even when the adults are out shopping or working.

Now’s the time to have a serious talk about the steps we can take to keep our kids safe during these challenging times. Luckily for us, some of the advantages of technology include powerful tools that we can use to protect our kids from the dark side of the internet, as well as from the spread of the Coronavirus. 

Here are 4 ways you can use FamilyKeeper to keep your kids safe.

**Stay on top of their location** — Use FamilyKeeper’s real-time GPS location feature to instantly locate your child. Coronavirus’ highly contagious nature means that gatherings of any size can pose a real danger. If that isn’t enough, children aren’t always fully equipped to understand the acute danger of coronavirus and may take risks like visiting sick friends or going into areas with high concentrations of the virus. 

**Set up digital fences** — Take advantage of advanced geofencing capabilities to set up ‘no go’ zones for your kids. You’ll get an immediate update if your child approaches a geofenced area so that you can take appropriate action. With geofencing you’ll instantly know if your child goes anywhere near dangerous areas, or tries to leave quarantine. That way, you can rest assured your children are safe, even if you’re not in their proximity.

**Establish rules and monitor usage** — Filter and block problematic websites, set up screen time limitations and block applications during specific hours. Access in-depth analytics on how your kids are spending their time on the smartphone. With the kids at home, they’ll be looking for entertainment. The smartphone will be the first place they look for it. Use FamilyKeeper to set up clear boundaries on how and when your kids use their smartphones. 

**Protection from cyberthreats** — Advanced monitoring capabilities detect suspicious behavior patterns, cyberbullying and other online threats across leading social networks and other platforms. Get customizable, real-time alerts if your child is exposed to inappropriate messages or photos. As kids around the world continue to use their smartphones more and more as a way to cope with the impact of the Coronavirus, the dangers of the digital world become more real. 

During these stressful times, the need for vigilance is greater than ever. With FamilyKeeper, your child is kept safe — both from the dangers of the internet, and from the spread of Coronavirus.

Remember, to work correctly FamilyKeeper should be installed on your childrens’ devices and your own. [Contact Us](https://familykeeper.reasonlabs.com/contact/) if you have any difficulties setting it up.

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Unsurprisingly, digital devices are set to be a pretty common feature on most kids’ wish lists this Christmas. As parents though, there are many concerns to be had before making this kind of purchase, be it a new phone, a first phone, a smartwatch, a tablet, a laptop – the list goes on.

Many parents will share the same sorts of reservations: How can I protect my child while they are online? Does my child understand phone etiquette? Are they even old enough for a digital device? 

Here are a few tips to help you with gifting digital devices this Christmas:

## Communication

Before you even give your kid their new phone (or other connected devices) – make sure you’ve sat down and had a conversation with them about how to stay safe online. Some topics you may want to include are:

 ☑️ Online shopping

 ☑️ Cyberbullying

 ☑️ Opening emails from unknown sources

 ☑️ Posting on social media

 ☑️ Protecting personal information 

## Parental Control Apps

Parental control apps such as FamilyKeeper can provide much-needed peace of mind, especially if this is your child’s first device, or their first venture onto social media. Setting up a parental control app on your child’s device before you present them with their gift is one approach. However, open dialogue between parents and children is paramount, so make sure to tell your child why you’ve installed the application. 

With parental controls, you can set healthy screen time limits, block inappropriate websites, and get notifications of any incendiary keywords. You can utilize location tracking to check that your child is in a safe place, and a battery tracker to make sure their device always has enough power to contact you if they need to.

## Reaching Out

They say it takes a village to raise a child – well, when it comes to your kids and technology, getting advice from other people in your community is a pretty good idea. It’s useful to see how other parents handle conversations about online safety – especially when these conversations vary so much, depending on the age of the child in question. Other parents can also offer advice such as:

☑️ At what age they gave their child their first device

☑️ Which type of phone they would recommend for kids

☑️ What other types of online devices may be appropriate for kids

Also, if you aren’t already on the same wavelength as your child, it’s worth reaching out to friends and family members to teach you about some of the most popular sites, so that you can check out what types of content your child may be viewing. You may be a Facebook and Pinterest pro, but if you have a kid who loves TikTok and Snapchat, knowing how to navigate these apps could be helpful.

Whatever decision you ended up making this Christmas, online safety is paramount. It’s amazing that there’s so much of the world now at our fingertips – but there are dangers out there. Forewarned is forearmed: so make sure you enjoy the festivities while keeping you and your family safe.

**Now is also the time to take advantage of our FamilyKeeper Christmas promotion with 50% off all plans! **

For more information, visit our website or [download the Android app here](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.familykeeper.parents).

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Safer Internet Day occurs on Tuesday, February 8th, and will be celebrating its 19th annual event this year. The aim of Safer Internet Day is to make the internet a safer place, for kids in particular, by raising awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns – from cyberbullying to social networking to digital identity.

This year, we’ve rounded up some of the key concerns that we feel surrounds internet use in 2022:

## CYBERBULLYING

### The Problem

Cyberbullying is a significant problem in society today. It’s a global issue that can come in many forms: trolling, harassment, cyberstalking, outing, and more. Cyberbullying causes a host of mental health issues, as well as loneliness, isolation, self-harm, body dysmorphia, and in the absolute worst cases, suicide. Cyberbullying mainly affects teens but has been known to affect younger kids as well, and also adults. 

### The Solution

Raising awareness is our first port of call – in schools and educational institutions especially. We need to make ourselves understand how to recognize the signs of cyberbullying and find effective ways of dealing with it. Parents, teachers, and governing bodies also need to adopt a zero-tolerance policy where cyberbullying is concerned – it is not acceptable on any level. In the words of the Safer Internet Day manifesto, we can only maintain a better world if we all work together.

## DATA PRIVACY

### The Problem

This is a slightly tricky one because children especially won’t always understand what the ramifications are of posting or giving away personal data. The main premise is: be extremely careful about what you post on the internet. Posts, images, messages can all come back to haunt you later in life. Even with social media platforms such as Snapchat’s ‘disappearing messages’ feature, all posts can ultimately be used against you – all it takes is for someone to take a screenshot.

### The Solution

Again, in terms of who this affects, all generations need to be more careful about what we post online, in order to make the internet a better place. There needs to be more education surrounding cyberspace awareness – especially for kids. Once personal private data, or potentially embarrassing images, get put onto any public forum, it’s out there and likely to stay out there for years to come. 

## INTERNET SCAMS

### The Problem

The internet is full of enticing offers – adults and children alike can easily be duped by the many freebies and promotions out there. Children are more likely to be enticed by game freebies, in-app purchases, and music downloads – but phishing, formjacking, and cracked games are also notoriously hazardous. These types of scams encourage you to do things like give up sensitive personal information, offer up credit card details, and even make payments.

### The Solution

We need to teach our kids to be wary of online offers – especially ones that sound too good to be true. Kids should be taught to not give out credit card information without first checking with their parents or reviewing the site’s credentials. Adults and kids must also look out for suspect hyperlinks – just because it says ‘open here’, doesn’t mean you should! Kids should also be taught at an early age to not engage with messages from strangers online, in order to avoid scams.

The general overall themes here are ‘Education’ and ‘Awareness’ – and it’s these two components, together with positive action, which will help us make the internet a safer place.

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_**“Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never harm me”**_

Unfortunately, this age-old adage is no longer true – and in fact one of the most harmful scenarios these days is cyberbullying and trolling.

The increase in social media channels and internet use, coupled with the sheer amount of time spent online, are both huge factors in the advent of cyberbullying. Screen time has increased dramatically since the covid-19 pandemic hit, with kids aged 8- 10-years-old spending around 6 hours a day online, and kids aged 11- 14-years-old spending around 9 hours a day online.

Kids are also accessing the internet at a younger age – even if they don’t own a device themselves, many parents let their kids dabble on their own tablets or smartphones.

As a result, cyberbullying is also beginning at a younger age – and even scarier, research has shown that the effects of bullying can still be seen over four decades later. 

Cyberbullying can happen to anyone using social networking sites. Harassment via social media is causing huge amounts of stress, anxiety and mental health issues, especially amongst teenagers.

Your child may enjoy the benefits of social media platforms like TikTok,  Snapchat, Instagram etc. They may be using these sites to make new friends, post photos, and stay up-to-date with social trends. 

But these platforms are the easiest places for cyberbullying to take place. More often than not, parents have no idea what kind of content their child is being exposed to, or who their child has connected with on social media. 

Bullies take advantage of this: they can set up fake accounts to hide their identity, and then they attack by making insensitive, hurtful and insulting comments on other people’s pictures and posts. When cyberbullies don’t use their real identities, it becomes easy for them to target anyone as they know they’re unlikely to be caught and held accountable. This adds to the victim’s feelings of helplessness. 

According to DoSomething.org, a US-based non-profit fighting for social change, “4 out of 5 students (81%) say they would be more likely to intervene in instances of cyberbullying if they could do it anonymously.” It’s a sad irony that cyberbullies thrive on anonymity – and their would-be opponents would prefer the shield of anonymity before they act. There’s a fear around intervening and standing up to the bullies – but this is exactly what needs to happen in order for us to nip bullying in the bud.

## What is International Stand Up To Bullying Day?

International Stand Up to Bullying Day is a semi-annual event to raise public awareness around bullying in all its forms. The event takes place in schools, workplaces, and organizations in 25 countries around the globe on the third Friday of November to coincide with Anti-Bullying Week, and then again on the last Friday of February.

Supporters of Stand Up To Bullying Day wear pink shirts, an initiative started in 2007 by Travis Price and David Shepherd, two Nova Scotian students who took a stand for a fellow student who was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school.

When International Stand Up to Bullying Day first burst onto the scene, the main focus was bullying within schools. But over the last decade and a half, as cyberbullying has increased exponentially, the need to stand up to bullying in all its forms has become even more prevalent.

## How Can We Stand up to Cyberbullying?

### Education

Opening up the conversations around what is acceptable or unacceptable to post on social media is the first step. Body-shaming, revenge porn, hurtful comments, embarrassing photos – don’t do to someone what you wouldn’t want them to do to you. 

Parents, teachers, schools, universities and other educational institutions have a responsibility to try to stamp out bullying in all its forms. Organizations such as the Anti-Bullying Alliance offer resources and tools to implement anti-bullying programs.

### Don’t Be a Bystander

For every generation: If you or someone you know has been a victim of bullying, cyber or otherwise – or you are aware of someone doing the bullying – it’s important to speak up. There are ways to do this tactfully, in order for the situation not to escalate – but standing by and doing nothing is not an option. 

Do not encourage bullying and do not participate in it. Instead, try and find ways to support the victim.

Parents, teachers, guardians, social workers, friends – encourage your kids to find someone who they feel comfortable speaking with. Cyberbullying can also easily happen amongst adults as well – it’s something to be aware of at any age.

### Provide Tools to Cope

As a parent, you need to give your kid the tools to cope with cyberbullying. We need to give youngsters the confidence to disclose any worries they may have, keep the lines of communication open, and provide kids with an understanding of their own self-worth.

When it comes to cyberbullying in particular, a parental control app is a great tool to help families combat cyberbullying together. An app such as FamilyKeeper is designed to pre-empt and prevent cyberbullying by offering parents alerts when incendiary keywords are used, and notifying parents about specific websites and social media behaviors.

This International Stand Up To Bullying Day, let’s try to increase awareness surrounding bullying and cyberbullying in any form, and take active steps to prevent it from happening.

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#Child Safety