App to see kids texts

[tRidiot]

IMO if you have to put an app on the phone to protect your kids, then maybe they are not ready yet for a smart phone. This has been my biggest pet peeve with kids today. I see kids walking around with smart phones when they are 5 and up. Basically you give them a tool that can access anything on the internet in a very portable system so you are not able to fully monitor their activity. It was bad enough when kids would be unsupervised on their parents computers.

Honestly, before the age of 15 I see no reason a kid should have a smart phone. Maybe a flip phone that can send and receive texts and calls, but the rest? Again, just my own opinion.

Well, I could take away the computer, because that can be used to surf porn or talk to predators. Also the Xbox, same reasons. Restrict the cable to only kids' channels, or only watching TV when I'm there monitoring everything...

Trust but verify. Kids will push their limits, even good kids. It's my responsibility to be their parent, to guide them, guard them, correct them and more. Even grown ass adults will do things they shouldn't do when they are alone or think they won't get caught... and we have systems set up to monitor them, too. Driving monitoring, phone restriction at work, internet blocks at work, etc. Guess those people shouldn't have a job, then, either, if they can't be trusted 100% on their own to do the right thing.

Just saying... yes, it's to each their own, but then, lots of people let their kids do anything and everything, monitoring nothing. I'm determined my kid will have more supervision than that. And I had a sister in law who wouldn't let her kids watch Smurfs or Harry Potter stuff because it was witchcraft... I don't want my kid to be a freak and overly sheltered, who then goes crazy when he turns 18 and goes off to college because he's never had any normal "kid" experiences, either.

To me and my wife, it's about balance, oversight and learning limits. That's all.

 

[Glock 40]

...are the devil no exceptions (that’s one example) unless you are John Mccain

<<< who really was a devil. You forgot that part. Everything else was spot on.

 

[Tanis143]

Well, I could take away the computer, because that can be used to surf porn or talk to predators. Also the Xbox, same reasons. Restrict the cable to only kids' channels, or only watching TV when I'm there monitoring everything...

Trust but verify. Kids will push their limits, even good kids. It's my responsibility to be their parent, to guide them, guard them, correct them and more. Even grown ass adults will do things they shouldn't do when they are alone or think they won't get caught... and we have systems set up to monitor them, too. Driving monitoring, phone restriction at work, internet blocks at work, etc. Guess those people shouldn't have a job, then, either, if they can't be trusted 100% on their own to do the right thing.

Just saying... yes, it's to each their own, but then, lots of people let their kids do anything and everything, monitoring nothing. I'm determined my kid will have more supervision than that. And I had a sister in law who wouldn't let her kids watch Smurfs or Harry Potter stuff because it was witchcraft... I don't want my kid to be a freak and overly sheltered, who then goes crazy when he turns 18 and goes off to college because he's never had any normal "kid" experiences, either.

To me and my wife, it's about balance, oversight and learning limits. That's all.

Oh I agree with balance and supervision, my parents were the same way. Hell, if I wanted to drink my parents said I could, at home. Never did much, a zima here and there (mom liked em) and a beer once in a blue moon with my dad. My point was that a smart phone is portable, so able to be taken away from the prying eyes of adults. Computers, xboxs etc are stationary, so easier to monitor what your child is doing. And I'm not saying your wrong. Nor am I saying its wrong to monitor a teenager's use of such things. I just personally don't see the need for kids that young to have that much access to snap chat, instagram, FB, etc unless its easier to monitor for the parents.

Now if the cell phone companies would provide a separate model strictly for kids that had ways built in for parental supervision, that would be ideal. I just could see 3rd party software that could do that being abused by the wrong parties.

 

[Neanderthal]

This reminds me of when my wife caught our son with some girly mags when he was 15-16. She was all beside herself "Oh my god, my boy! My little boy! What's wrong with my son, looking at women like that!"

I was just happy that he liked girls.

 

[tRidiot]

I was just happy that he liked girls.

No doubt!

 

[tRidiot]

Now if the cell phone companies would provide a separate model strictly for kids that had ways built in for parental supervision, that would be ideal. I just could see 3rd party software that could do that being abused by the wrong parties.

Not a chance! They want these kids ADDICTED to social media and their face buried in their screens 100% of the time! There's no way they're going to jeopardize their market by helping parents limit them... just like the tobacco companies wanted to get kids hooked young back in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

 

[Cowcatcher]

Dang good idea @Tanis143 but I bet @tRidiot is right above.

 

[kirk1978]

Ill be honest, as a 10 year old kid with a phone....I would have slowed the interwebs down looking at nudies!!!

 

[rlongnt]

Not a chance! They want these kids ADDICTED to social media and their face buried in their screens 100% of the time! There's no way they're going to jeopardize their market by helping parents limit them... just like the tobacco companies wanted to get kids hooked young back in the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Apple has screen time. It gives you absolute power to regulate total time and time on what applications can be used. It also allows exceptions for apps that are always allowed like the phone being able to be used as a phone so they’re never without a lifeline to you.

When their time limit is reached they can ask for 15 min or hour extensions at a time. They know not to ask for any more time on instagram “ever”!!!

On weekends I will occasionally extend things like YouTube or FaceTime.

 

[dennishoddy]

WAY before cell phones, my parents, basically my mom kept track of me by the radio. Always said I was going to a local football, baseball, basketball game, etc and the dance afterward, so she would listen to it on the local AM radio station. My 55 ford had an AM radio too, so on our way to drink beer in Arkansas City KS, we kept the radio on so I could answer questions when getting home.
Parents have been monitoring kids way before cell phones, and kids have found ways around it.