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?

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

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

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 Dark Side of our Favorite Apps: 7 Most Dangerous Apps for Kids and Teens

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

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

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?

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

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

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

What are Gacha Games and who plays them? 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

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

Raising kids in this day and age is more challenging than ever. The digital era forces parents to make choices that no generation before them has ever had to face. Sometimes this can happen on a daily basis, if not hourly. Unfortunately, unlike our parents and grandparents, we have no one who has already faced these problems to turn to for advice. It’s up to us to figure out how to deal with the problems created by the technology that we each carry around in our pockets.

As parents, our mission is to raise confident, independent children who can see all the beauty the world has to offer. But how can we do this while keeping them safe from its darker sides, especially the newer digital dangers that we’re just learning about ourselves?  Cyberbullying, digital stalkers, smartphone addiction and loss of privacy are all concerns that we need to educate our children about before we can let them use their smartphones independently.

But we can’t just forbid our kids from using smartphones. Today, smartphones are an essential part of our lives. Kids use them to entertain themselves, socialize and to help them with these studies. Children must learn how to stay safe while using their smartphones so that they can continue on their path to independence.  

So how do we keep our kids safe while giving them the space they need to grow?

Smartphones should be treated just like any other new social tool that your kids use as they move towards adulthood. There is a right way to use them, and there’s a wrong way to use them. It’s up to us to show them the right way. Just like we were told never to tell a stranger on the phone where we live, or to call someone’s house after 9PM, kids should have strict  rules and learn proper behavior before we can let them use their smartphones without supervision. 

FamilyKeepers was built to help children develop awareness about the dangers of the digital world while keeping them safe as they learn to navigate their new independence. Advanced rule setting capabilities let you place usage limits and instill safe behaviors. AI-driven monitoring tools alert you to any problematic behavior and ensure that your kids are protected, even when you’re not around.

**Awareness**. Like it or not, your kids need to know that what they do on their smartphone is definitely not private. Phone usage can be monitored by anyone, at any time. With FamilyKeepers on their smartphones  your kids will quickly internalize that fact, and learn to always act appropriately and never share or store sensitive data on their devices.  

**Behavior**. Rules define the behavior that we expect to see in our children. Use FamilyKeepers to set up clear guidelines about the way you want your kids to use their smartphones. Establish usage limits, block inappropriate websites and apps and block the phone while your kids are at school or doing homework. 

**Monitor**. Get customizable, real-time alerts regarding any inappropriate behavior or problematic usage. Access in-depth analytics that offer insights into how your kids are using their smartphones. 

Modern times call for modern measures. FamilyKeepers gives you everything you need to keep your children safe while teaching them how to use their smartphones wisely as they learn to become independent.  

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.

3_Let_Your_Kids_Spread_Their_Wings_Safely_GC_ae0d1acab8.avif

There’s no getting around it. Sooner or later, your kids are going to ask for a smartphone. They might even already have one. As they should. Today, smartphones are an essential part of our lives. We use them for socializing, to pass the time, as well as tools to support our work and our studies. We’d even go so far to say that in many places, kids who don’t have access to a smartphone are at a big disadvantage.

In fact, the latest research [shows](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/the-common-sense-census-media-use-by-tweens-and-teens-2019) that smartphone ownership among children is quickly growing. In the US alone, more than half of children already own a smartphone by the age of 11. That number goes up to 84% when looking solely at teenagers.

This means that in our smartphone-driven world, the question isn’t whether to buy or not to buy your kids a smartphone, but whether or not you’ve properly prepared them to be smart, safe and responsible while they’re using it. Unfortunately, just like in the real world, there are dangers in the digital world. Cyberthreats like online predators, cyberbullying, inappropriate usage and screen addiction are all real problems that cannot be ignored. 

So how can you balance your kids’ need for technology with your need to protect them? It’s not like anyone ever taught us how to use the internet or our smartphones. Well, like many other issues in the modern world, preventative measures that reduce the risk are a great place to start. 

When you think about it, smartphones are just another tool that your kids need to learn how to navigate on their road to independence. As a responsible parent, it’s up to you to teach them how to correctly use this tool, without exposing themselves to dangers. 

It’s our responsibility to equip our kids with protective gear that keeps them safe until they learn how to properly use smartphones on their own. This protective gear gives you the ability to allow your kids to use their smartphones, while ensuring that they are protected while doing so. It’s the ultimate compromise. Kids get the freedom to use their smartphones, while you, the parents, can rest assured that they are protected as they learn the right way to do this.

Just like we give them helmets before they start riding their bikes and seat belts when they start driving, we should use apps like FamilyKeepers when they get their first smartphones. The same way that we sit in the passenger seat and closely watch our children’s first attempts to drive, we should monitor the way they use their smartphones. 

FamilyKeeper is an advanced smartphone app for Android and iOS that uses the latest technology to protect your children from cyberthreats and to monitor their usage to ensure that they are using their smartphones for the things you want them to. 

**Monitor** — Get real-time alerts about any problematic behavior and inappropriate usage. Quickly understand if your kids are at danger from cyber predators or cyberbullies. Easily take in how your kids are using their smartphone by accessing in-depth analytics. 

**Set rules** — Establish guidelines about proper smartphone usage. Use FamilyKeepers to establish rules and regulations about which apps they can use and about when and for how long they can use their smartphones during the day. Set up usage limits, block specific websites and apps and turn off internet access during school hours.

Use FamilyKeeper to give your kids the protection they need to safely use their smartphones.

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.

2_Worried_about_cyberthreats_Get_your_kids_a_digital_helmet_GC_83630c65d4.avif

Modern day parents have a lot on their plate, and that’s putting it lightly. With the coronavirus raging around the world, schools and preschools have been canceled. Kids are at home — and there’s no going outside or having friends over. For most parents, leaving the house is not an option and neither is bringing in a babysitter to help to take care of them.

If that wasn’t enough, many parents are also expected to get their job done from home. This means that parents aren’t just handling endless day-to-day chores like cleaning the house, cooking and taking care of their kids. They are also trying to take part in online meetings and finish up their tasks so that their employers will continue paying their salaries and they can pay their bills.

As long as this is our reality, it’s natural that parents are increasingly allowing kids to zone out in front of screens for hours at a time. And the internet doesn’t disappoint. There is a never-ending amount of content that kids are more than happy to consume for as long as you’ll let them. 

How else will you ever get any work done?

With more than 2 billion users logging into YouTube each month, it’s safe to say that it’s the world’s leading video platform. Seemingly endless amounts of free, popular shows and movies that appeal to small children are available for consumption. From “Peppa Pig” to “Paw Patrol” and “Frozen”, there’s definitely something for everyone to be found.

But YouTube isn’t all fun and games. Immoral businesses can easily get their ads in front of your kids. This can lead to unwanted in-app purchases if you’re not careful. What’s more, endless hours of content can lead to screen addiction and abuse and age inappropriate content is readily available.

FamilyKeeper gives you tools to control and monitor your kids’ online behavior to make sure that they’re protected. By connecting your child’s YouTube account to the FamilyKeeper app, you can monitor what they watch and limit the amount of time they’re watching. FamilyKeeper instantly notifies you about any in-app purchases your kids make, so that you can put an end to that behavior before it gets out of control. You can also block or limit their use of YouTube so that you stay in control of how long your kids watch it and prevent overuse.

## The Problem with YouTube

YouTube’s autoplay feature plays a big part in keeping kids happily engrossed in the content for hours at a time. The way it’s supposed to work is that you choose a video and when it ends, a similar video automatically starts.  In theory, these videos should highly resemble the one you already chose. The reality unfortunately, is quite different.

The autoplay feature is used by digitally savvy online marketers to hack the YouTube algorithm that determines which video to present. Instead of showing your kids videos that are like the one you chose, these videos are actually highly appealing advertisements for merchandise and other swag. These ads present toys and dolls related to the characters appearing in the videos. In many cases, links to purchase this merchandise are easily accessible from the video itself.

But the dangers of autoplay don’t end there.  Once autoplay gets started you have no idea what it will show. If you’re not careful, the autoplay feature dishes up age inappropriate videos that have no connection with the content that you initially started off with and are definitely not suitable for small children. 

YouTube doesn’t disappoint when it comes to kids who have grown out of cartoons either. Older kids watch videos of famous gamers playing popular video games like Minecraft and Fortnite. This phenomenon has sprouted online celebrities who boast tens of millions of subscribers and make millions of dollars a year from the ads on their videos. These ads promote in-app purchases and premium, costly games in a way that’s hard for even an adult to resist. 

With kids exposed to these ads for hours at a time, and the purchase just a couple of taps away, it’s no wonder that many of them try to purchase the products presented there.

FamilyKeeper is a parental control app that helps you control the way your kids use their smartphones. Monitor text messages, apps and social media networks to make sure that your kids are protected and are using their smartphones in a safe way. When times are tough and finding someone to take care of your kids is impossible, FamilyKeeper has your back by making sure your kids are protected.

5_The_Dangers_of_You_Tube_f33541be3e.avif

We’ve all been there before. The kids are screaming and fighting, the laundry has piled up and is the size of a small mountain and it’s already 2PM. And the kids haven’t even had breakfast. At times like this, tablets and smartphones seem like a godsend. Give the kids a screen to stare into and you’ve just bought yourself the quiet you need to get things moving.

Sounds good, right? Well, not exactly. Everything comes with a price, and in many cases too much screen time can definitely be a recipe for disaster. Specifically, we’re speaking about screen addiction. While you may have earned a few hours of not having to deal with the kids, too much screen time can lead to dangerous, compulsive behaviors that have a negative effect on your kids’ well-being.

Screen addiction is defined as “compulsive screen use that leads to impaired daily function in productivity, social relationships, physical health or emotional well-being” (Horwood & Anglin, 2018). This means that too much screen time is harming your kids’ schoolwork, negatively impacting social relationships, interfering with sleep and causing unhappiness. It’s not your kids’ fault — the chemicals in our brains can be too much for even adults to deal with.

So how do you know if your kids are addicted to their screens? There are 3 main indicators of addiction that you should watch out for:

Cravings. We all know what cravings feel like. A constant reminder from your brain that you are in need of something. In the best case it’s chocolate, but in worse cases it can ruin your life. Cravings are hard to resist, but are easy to identify. You’ll notice that your child has a craving for the smartphone screen when they become preoccupied with spending time on their phone. They’ll constantly ask for permission, even if it’s at the expense of activities that they usually enjoy.

Tolerance. Like any other addiction, your child will build up a tolerance for screens as they become more and more addicted. This means that if they were once happy with half an hour of YouTube, they’ll suddenly need more time in front of the screen to satisfy their craving.

Withdrawal. If your kids suddenly become angry, irritable or depressed when you take the screen away from them, they’re probably experiencing withdrawal. The best way to confirm this suspicion is to give them back the device. If the feelings they’d just been experiencing instantly disappear once they’ve got a screen in front of them, you can be pretty sure that they were going through withdrawal.

FamilyKeeper offers parents technology to help them combat screen addiction. Alongside the powerful parental control features that alert you to problematic online behavior, FamilyKeeper also offers solutions for controlling the amount of time your kids spend in front of their screens.

**Awareness.** FamilyKeeper provides you with highly detailed, real-time reports about what your kids are doing on their devices. These reports show you how many hours a day they are staring into their screens. By understanding how long your kids are on their devices each day, you’ll be able to establish a healthy limit that’s right for the whole family. 

**Set up limits.** Use FamilyKeeper to limit screen time. You can choose when it’s okay for them to use their phones — probably not best during school hours — and even set up a daily limit. Once you have healthy limits in place, you can rest assured that your kids aren’t abusing their devices.

FamilyKeeper helps you become a better digital parent by giving you tech-powered tools that keep your kids safe when they’re online. Advanced monitoring across social media apps and messaging platforms alerts you to any problematic behavior from strangers or friends, while in-depth reports and usage tools help you establish a safe digital environment for your children.  

#Digital Parenting