3 Tools Parents Use to Monitor Teen Online Activity

As a counselor for teens, one of the repeating questions I get from parents is, "What should I do to protect my teen online."

My answer varies, as parents have the autonomy to choose to give the amount of privacy vs protection that they deem fit for their child. But, for those that are searching for resources, here are some of the best resources when it comes to monitoring your teen's online activity.

Before we get to that, first we must answer why is monitoring your child's activity online important?

Blackmail, inappropriate sexual material, scams and bullying are just a few of the dangers. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, especially when it comes to consequences of online activity. Monitoring your child's activity can significantly reduce the negative impact and damages.

Where do I start?

Before you do any monitoring, you need to follow The Family IT Guy.

Here is his website https://www.familyitguy.com/

This is a great resource for parents to learn more about the dangers online and what to do as a parent to protect your child.

Now to the monitoring resources that parents actually use.

1. Bark

2. FamiSafe

3. Bright Canary

One of the cool features of these new monitoring technologies is that they can monitor and flag keyboard activity and incoming texts and images for things like suicidal behaviors, sexual material, and bullying.

If you are a parent considering monitoring your child's online activity, just know that you are well supported in this community.

Hope this helps!

-Jesse Koskovick L.P.C.