Here’s some exciting news for parents looking to monitor their child’s text message activity. Child safety website TeenSafe has launched a new version that not only lets you view your child’s social network activity, but also lets you read the text messages they send and receive on their Android or iPhone. You can even read text messages that have been deleted on the phone.
Text message monitoring has been of huge interest in recent years. Kids can make seemingly innocent mistakes caused by youthful inexperience, but those actions can be life-changing for a family. From provocative photos, to online solicitation, sexting, or online pedophiles, parents must understand the responsibility you are placing in your kids' hands with an electronic device.
TeenSafe offers a free 7-day trial and then a minimal monthly access fee. Once you are registered, the information gets downloaded to your private login page where you can read all the iPhone or Android text messages your child has sent and received. You can also view their phone call logs, phone contacts and web browsing history, and monitor Instagram activity. TeenSafe also uses the phone's GPS to track its location on a map.
The dilemma for many critics if the fact nothing shows up on your child’s phone, so they won’t know about it unless you tell them.
Admittedly, it can sound a little sneaky, but as long as you are the parent or guardian of the child it’s legal. As for whether or not you should tell your child, TeenSafe goes the common sense route by explaining that the decision is up to you.
Every family is different, and when it comes to protecting your children it’s sometimes good to open a dialogue. Other times it’s better to be discreet, such as when your child has already run into some trouble and you’re now trying to prevent him or her from encountering bigger problems.
So, whether you’re giving your child a cell phone for the first time and just want to keep an eye on them, or you have a teen exposed to more than they’re ready to handle, TeenSafe could be your way to safely and anonymously observe them.
So tell me what you think?
So tell me what you think?
