Contact Lorraine above or go to her website www.ladybugit.co.nz ...
Online Security
Do you really know what your children are doing online? While your child is at school, you trust that the school has an internet security program in place to ensure your child is safe. However what about the smart phone you bought them for Christmas? Ask yourself these questions:
When was the last time you looked at the phone?
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What apps are installed?
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What images are on the phone?
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What text messages are being sent or received?
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Who is saved in contacts?
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What facebook, instagram accounts etc are on it?
These days we are increasingly forcing our children to become technology savvy without the emotional maturity that we ourselves possess. So it's no wonder many of our children fall prey to bullying, violence and inappropriate sexual behaviours from peers as well as predators. Online predators can prey on our children behind personas that are so easily created on the internet.
Once a predator has gained your childs trust (a very quick process I might add) a meeting time and place is setup and your child is off to a future that could be every parents nightmare. Don't fool yourself into thinking that 'my child wouldn't do that', - ALL TEENAGERS make bad decisions at times. If the studies are correct - showiing development of an early teen brain being similar to a two-year old's brain then you can be rest assured risky behaviour is not even a consideration.
What can you do?
You are not your childs friend, you are their parent and as such you need to take charge and have a look at their phone. A bit of sneakiness is called for here! Ask your child if they can show you how to do something on their phone. Pretend you don't know how to do it and use their phone. Take the opportunity to have a look at their phone. Quite often a conversation with your child about what an app does can reveal some interesting information.
If this approach does not work then be ready to discuss with your child your concerns, this approach has not proven to be very successful with many of the parents I have spoken too and once it has been raised it becomes very difficult to put the next approach in place although it can be done.
Tracking software, including GPS tracking, sms messaging, internet tracking and usage, image
downloads, voice recordings and app downloads and usage are all options, which most parents in New Zealand seem very reluctant to take up. I've had some clients take this route before intervention is required. But I've also had quite a few parents approach me when their child is missing or when it is too late, and the unthinkable has already occurred.
So if this article makes you talk to your child about their phone and you feel satisfied with the results then great. If not then contact me for an Online Child Safety Pack, free of charge. I send via email so please include your email address.
My name is Lorraine, I am the owner of LadyBugIT.
I am passionate about information technology and feel as women we have considerations in our business and home lives that technology needs to address.
In my column I hope to address some of those areas as well as provide some good tips and tricks to make your life easier.
Meet Lorraine our Information Technology columnist. With over 21 years in the IT industry, she has worked for some of the biggest corporates in New Zealand as well as small to medium size businesses. She now runs LadyBugIT, the only technology support company that focuses on women. Lorraine's numerous qualifications and experience make her well versed in the needs and wants of technology.
sheQ is about women, for women and by women, it is about empowering you to be the best person that you want to be. We hope to give you the tools and resources that give you the strength to carry on and get it done!
