When it comes to internet safety, parents tend to fall into two categories: those who trust their kids to look after it themselves, and those who feel uncomfortable about giving this type of responsibility to a child.
The latest app on the market will appeal to parents in the latter category, offering worried mums and dads a unique view into their child’s online world.
Shieldbully comes in two parts; an app, which the parent downloads onto their own device (iphone or android) and a separate app which is loaded onto their child’s device (android). The two apps synchronise with each other, enabling parents to monitor their child’s online activity
Using their smartphone or tablet, parents can set internet usage time limits, block questionable sites and apps and get weekly activity summaries of online activity on their child’s mobile device.
One in four Irish teenagers have been victims of cyber-bullying, generally in the form of abusive emails and sexting. Worryingly, a recent UK report showing that 30 per cent of 15 year-olds have sent a naked photo of themselves at least once and 5 per cent of 13 year-olds have sent naked photos several times a week.
And it’s not just an old school matter of reputation; cyber-bullying is linked to higher levels of depression, suicidal thoughts and social isolation among young people.
Developer, Safe Net Technologies CEO and father of four, Peter Kirwan said:
“Children are being educated by the internet today and this comes with positives and negatives.
‘Shieldbully app is designed to protect children from the negative aspects of online communication, which include overuse of mobile devices, cyberbullying, grooming and addiction to gambling and pornography.”
While the free version of the app offers information on their location and notifications on their active apps, the €3.99 version of Shieldbully can enable the locking of the child’s device either at scheduled times or remotely from the parent’s mobile device. (e.g. during school and homework times). It also enables the parent to track and block app downloads and usage – useful for monitoring gambling, shopping or dating apps.
A chat room allows parents to compare experiences and share information on inappropriate apps or websites.
Mutual consent between parent and child is required to install the app, which can be downloaded here. The basic version is free and the full suite costs €3.99 per month per family.
Do you trust your child to use the internet safely? Would you use an app like Shieldbully to keep them safe online? Let us know on Twitter @HerFamilydotie.
