Three apps to help parents monitor kid’s social media usage during and after the lockdown

Sexual solicitation from minors is a real thing on the internet. Online predators are sitting on the other end, waiting for a young gullible human to consent to all kinds of disgusting things. According to the Huffington Post, “one in five teenagers has received an unwanted sexual solicitation online, and 75 percent of teens share personal information online”.

Children everywhere are having more screen time during the lockdown, and are at a higher risk of interacting with a sexual predator online. 

Did you know that the demand and consumption of child pornography have increased since the lockdown, particularly in the Philippines which has numerous cases of sexual exploitation? A report on NPR indicated that children’s rights advocates are on high alert currently. 

If these kids are not performing these acts voluntarily, they are being coerced through online manipulation. If you do not have a conversation with your kids regarding these dangers, then they might fall victim to these sexual requests. 

So, below is a list of apps you can use to monitor your child’s usage online, without they need to know each and everything that they do. 

Bark 

According to Bark’s Chief Parenting Officer (CPO) Titania Jordan “Parents can set a level of severity based on their personal preference so that they’re only alerted to issues of concern (which may differ from family to family)”. 

The AI in the app picks up keywords that are a red flag and can even pick up on pop culture slang. Parents can set these words and will be alerted if they are being used in their 30 different social media pages, including text, email, and Youtube. 

Bark monitors the activity, detects it and alerts the parent. 

Secure Teen

This is a non-invasive social media management tool that helps parents track the content their children are consuming. Not only can you manage screen time, but you can also see what content they look at, and which words are being used online. 

Webwatcher 

This technology helps pick up on patterns of:

– online predators           

– cyberbullying

– suicide prevention        

– sexting

– inappropriate behavior 

– drug & alcohol use

The app is compatible with Android and iOS users. 

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