Inside: Most parents are overwhelmed trying to manage their tweens and teens and all the stress technology creates for families. Parents need real solutions for monitoring their teen and tweens tech use and these parental control apps can bring peace of mind.
Did you know the average teenager spends almost seven and a half hours on their screens every single day!
If your tween or teen is like most kids today, then you probably worry about how much time they are spending on their smartphone each day. It’s hard to know how they are spending their screen time, if they are being exposed to inappropriate content, how they are interacting with people via text or on social media and even scarier is who is interacting with them.
Related: Technology Can Make Your Teen Anxious And Depressed, Here’s How To Help
Most parents just want a way to help their teens make healthier choices when it comes to screen time management. They also want to keep their kids safe. There are just too many scary stories out there and more every day. But there is good news too.
Related: The Best Ways You Can Fight Teen Cell Phone Addiction
There Are Many Easy To Use Monitoring Apps Available
And let’s just get this out of the way right now, parental control apps are not the same as “spying” on your kid. They are a guardrail, a way to put boundaries and safety precautions in place. This is a absolute necessity considering our tweens and teens don’t yet have the maturity needed to manage the complexity these devices introduce into their lives. Wouldn’t we argue that even most adults struggle with their own phone usage and suffer the negative effects of these mobile devices and all that comes with them?
Knowing what our tweens and teens are doing on their phones that many hours a day is responsible parenting in today’s modern age. As the social media platforms only seem to multiply from Facebook to Instagram, to SnapChat and now TikTok
None of us want to be the parents wishing “if I’d only…”
So, How Do You Know What Parental Control Is Best?
The reassuring answer is that there are several excellent options and with many different types of control features. You can monitor calls, texts and social media, create web filters, get real-time gps location, block unwanted apps, put limits on screen-time and more. It just depends on what you are specifically looking for and what you think is most needed for your individual child’s online activity.
Below are currently the best rated parental control apps for managing your child’s device. Most are available for both iPhone and Android devices. A few of the parent control apps offer a free version, some offer a free trial, but most are paid (but with pretty reasonable price tags). And you can be sure the peace of mind and the conflicts they will prevent are more than worth it.
The Best Parental Control Apps For Tweens and Teens
BARK
This is quickly becoming one of the most preferred parental control apps for so many reasons. If you are looking for the least invasive parental control app for an iPhone or an Android, Bark is a great choice. Bark is an all-in-one safety tool that helps families with social media monitoring, provides location tracking & check-in alerts, filters websites, manages screen time and allows app blocking. You can also monitor YouTube, emails, and even text messages from this app. It’s just a great holistic solution that is easy to use and works for young tweens to older high school age kids.
Life360
Is Bark or Life360 Better? This is a common question.
Life360 is not exactly a parental control app, but it is the one along with Bark that most parents have heard of and it can be confusing. So just inserting this quick info here to help understand the difference.
Life360 is an app that has location sharing and family tracking services. Parents can see their tween or teen’s real-time location and receive alerts when they arrive or leave a specific location.
Life360 also has a driver safety feature, where parents can monitor their teen’s driving habits and receive alerts if they speed or use their smartphone while driving. It also has a crash detection that will notify emergency services if a serious impact is detected.
NetNanny
Net Nanny helps parents monitor and filter their child’s online activities. It offers a range of premium features including website blocking, time management, social media monitoring, and reporting tools. You can also block access to specific websites or types of content, such as pornography or gambling sites.
Net Nanny also provides reporting tools and a dashboard that allow parents to see what their children are doing online, including the websites they visit and the search terms they use. This can help parents identify potential risks or areas where their children may need guidance or support.
Related: Here Are The Tech Rules You Need To Be Setting For Your Tweens and Teens
Norton Family Parental Control
Norton Family is one of the best apps to use if you are looking for a way to make the internet a little safer for your teen. You can see insights into what they are searching, viewed videos, monitor for age-appropriate content and help them establish screen time limits as well.
OurPact
This is a great parental control app for parents who want to make their teens EARN their screen time. You can have them do chores, help out around the house, or complete certain activities before they are allowed to use their devices. This can also come in handy for times when you’re not home!
Qustodio
If you are looking for an app that is specifically designed to help with your child’s phone, this is the one to do it. You can track and keep up with what they are doing, without feeling too intrusive.
Screen Time
If you have an IOS device, this is one of the best parental control apps on the market! You can manage apps and even use the GPS feature to make sure your teens are being safe when they’re not at home.
FamilyTime
If you are looking for a parental control app that can block certain apps and even help limit your child’s screen time, this is the one to do it. You’ll have access to their device and help them establish healthy screen time habits without literally taking their devices away. It’s a great way to keep your meals and other sacred times in your family’s schedule screen free.
Locategy
As much as we don’t want to think about it, we don’t want to think about the possibility of our teens being taken. This app can help you monitor who they are talking with and where they are so you can ensure they are being safe.
Safe Browser Parental Control
If you are concerned with your teenager’s tablet or computer, this is the best way to ensure that they aren’t visiting sites they’re not supposed to. This site will block anything from porn to cyberbullying sites to help keep your teens safe.
What is the best app to monitor your child’s phone? Clearly, you have many choices to pick from, but only you know which parental control app is the right fit for your family.
Parenting Teens and Technology can be hard! But these popular posts that other parents found helpful, might just make it a little easier.
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