Digital Safety Apps For Kids
by Jennifer Thayer
The world is a much a different place than it was twenty or thirty years ago. Some may argue that now, more than ever, our children are becoming the targets of fiendish predators who care little for the innocence of children. However, as much as the world has seemingly changed for the worst, we can also thank new technologies that are helping keep our children safer. Here are some mobile apps that are doing just that. Most of the 2013 new phones have the capability to download the applications and software programs listed below.
FBI Child ID App
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has entered the technology fray with its own free child safety app intended to provide fundamental information about your child to law enforcement should he or she ever go missing. Available on iPhone and Android platforms, the FBI’s app allows you to store and password-protect on a mobile phone or tablet photos of and vital information about your child.
Norton Safety Minder
The free Norton Safety Minder, available to download onto Android and iOS devices, allows parents to monitor what websites their children are visiting, or block access to specific sites and types of sites. With an upgrade to Premier, parents can view their kids’ text history and discover what apps they are themselves downloading to their devices.
Cold Turkey
Cold Turkey allows parents to disable access to unwanted sites for a specific period of time. So instead of banning a site altogether, parents can establish a time when the site, such as Facebook, is available for viewing. With this software, parents can know what their children are viewing and when.
Sex Offender Search
The free Sex Offender Search from Life 360 provides the means for locating sex offenders in your neighborhood. Parents can access the offender’s profiles and photos and receive automatic alerts wherever they are. Part of the Life 360 account, this app also lets you locate family members’ whereabouts and offers other safety features.
DNS Angel
DNS Angel will allow parents to block malicious and suspicious websites from being accessed by their children. Download the application and select MetaCert DNS, DNS Angel will send a request to the MetaCert DNS server where access to a site is accepted or declined automatically. Porn sites can be blocked as well as other content parents wish their children not to view.
KuruPira Web Filter
Finally, KuruPira Web Filter will allow parents to block access to questionable sites as well as identify and select those sites that are allowable for their children to view. The application also provides parents with the means to block out portions of time that their children are allowed to surf the web with a daily time limit access feature. With the application’s computer usage history, parents can keep track of the usage of both computer programs and websites.
It can be a dangerous world in which we live. As we endeavor to ensure the innocence and safety of our children, we can lean on the right kinds of technologies for assistance. The 2013 new phones make it easier to do just that with their capability of supporting many if not most of the applications mentioned in this article. Though it may seem like such a violation, blocking access to a website or knowing your child’s whereabouts can go a long way to ensuring he or she remains innocent and safe just a bit longer.
About the Author: Jennifer Thayer is a technology writer from Southern California. She is passionate about exploring new ways technology can be used to make day-to-day tasks easier. Follow her on Twitter.
