Whether it's the latest social media trend, meme, challenge, or the way they communicate on apps and Ask your  youth or teen how they use certain apps, what features they like, or what they think about

This approach is neither fair nor equitable and ultimately fails to address the broader problem. To truly create a safe, secure, and harm-free internet, online safety regulations must be applied consistently While this approach doesn’t directly address harmful content, it illustrates the need to consider safety example in early 2025 when a proposed TikTok ban in the US prompted many youth to move to a Chinese app Citations: https://www.icmec.org/daaa https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/14/tiktok-ban-rednote-app

Initially focused on the appropriateness of smartphones in educational settings, some groups and individuals banning or restricting devices could limit student's access to valuable online resources, educational apps keep students focused on educational content, reducing distractions from non-educational sites and apps This approach helps children develop a healthy relationship with technology.  However, it's essential to consider the potential benefits and drawbacks of such an approach.

Child safety products - ranging from phones, wearables, software, and apps that monitor social media This can include everything from browsing history, text messages, and app usage, to geolocation data However, parents should approach these reports with caution. These approaches can be just as effective in keeping your child safer, if not more so, than relying solely

Conflict of interest isn’t just about bad intent; it’s about how relationships can appear to bias decisions support from companies that sell technology-based safety solutions to parents, such as parental control apps The debate around cellphone use in schools and the appropriate age for social media engagement is not Whether the product is a parental control app, a school phone pouch, or classroom surveillance software

Rather than focusing on a single platform, this should encourage families to adopt a broader approach Rather than asking users whether they would like to participate, Meta has adopted an opt-out approach available images into entirely new creations that can appear remarkably realistic. Within the Instagram app, navigate to their profile, Open the three-line menu in the upper-right corner It is also a good practice to revisit these privacy settings after major Instagram or Meta app updates

Caveat - Big shout out to fellow safety advocate Susan Maclean for bringing this AI App to our attention The owner of the avatar keeps 80% of whatever the avatar earns through subscriptions, tips, or in-app Access to the character’s highest approved intimacy level (creators choose how explicit their avatar uploads personal images that end up fueling sexual content, laws on child exploitation could still apply

Caveat – As many of our followers know, we advocate for the balanced use of age-appropriate technology GPS trackers, safety apps, and smartphones are often the go-to tools parents rely on to track and protect Batteries die, apps glitch, cell coverage can be lost, or a device might not be within reach during an Teach your child how to approach trusted adults, such as uniformed personnel, store clerks, or adults Role-playing and practice further solidify these abilities, ensuring children can confidently apply them

the forces shaping the digital environment may not feel as immediately relevant as advice they can apply A truly comprehensive approach to keeping kids safer in today’s connected onlife world requires not only They want to know what conversations to have, what apps to watch for, and how to respond if something In fact, if we truly want a wrap around or more holistic approach to keeping our kids safer in today’ No tech in the bedroom or bathroom Monitor apps. Have conversations about online behaviour.

to apply universally across all online services. From what has been publicly stated so far, the age gating provisions do not appear to apply to: Private with began on one platform but quickly moved to private messaging services, encrypted communications apps The government appears to be acknowledging that risks exist on messaging apps, gaming platforms, and For us, however, the question remains, “If policymakers acknowledge that messaging apps, gaming platforms

If something appeared in front of us such as a photo, a video, a text , we took it at “face value” and They're often accessible via simple apps or websites marketed directly to youth. Screenshots can easily be fabricated or altered using free editing apps or AI tools.Ask for: Access to Metadata (information embedded in files such as time, date, and location) Timestamps from platforms or apps Young people are growing up in a world where “seeing is believing” no longer applies.

What emerged was not a simple story about phones or apps, but a far more complex picture shaped by family Screens did not appear as the root cause. They appeared, at most, as one “confounding” factor among many, with tech often acting as a coping mechanism