USE SCREEN TIME APP TO SAVE YOUR KIDS FROM THE HAZARDS OF SCREEN ADDICTION!

Excessive screen exposure is bad just as excess of anything else in the world. In fact, in most cases, excessive screen consumption leads to screen addiction. Screen addiction is a term coined for excessive use of smart devices like iPhones and iPads. If your kids have the undeniable need to be with their phones all the time, any attempt to stay away from them result in irritability and fear of missing out, any other thing seems uninteresting, it is most likely that they are screen addicts.

Two mains reasons of screen addiction

The two main factors that lead to screen addiction are:

Social Media

The prior aim of social media is to stay connected with the world all the time. Kids and teens take it religiously. Whether they are hanging out with friends, reading a book, feeling sad, making a new dish, whatever it is they share it on social networks. They keep on checking for new notifications, new likes, and shares. This doesn’t let them get off their phones.

Games

Mobile games are another reason which keeps kids glued to their screens. There are several levels to complete and different upgrades. Once they start, they can’t stop. Level after level they keep playing and forget their surroundings.

Consequences of screen addiction

Kids who get addicted, suffer from different health issues:

Physical health

• Constant exposure to the screens increases blue light exposure as well. Blue light is injurious to eyes and mind.
• Sleep patterns get disturbed, rendering them unable to perform daily tasks and school work.
• Lack of physical activity increases the risk for obesity.

Mental Health

• The develop FOMO – fear of missing out. Even if they put their phones away, they have a constant need to check them.
• It increases the risk for anxiety and depression.
• They develop social detachment and can’t function properly in real time scenarios.

Screen Time app to combat screen addiction!

Parents are advised to use screen time app to control their screen addiction. There are several apps such as FamilyTime that provide different facilities. They can manage and regulate their kids’ screen usage and make them spend tech-free time.

• Remotely lock their screens to restrict their access.
• Do this for bedtime, dinner time, homework time and customized times as well.
• Temporarily block system apps and 3rd party apps.
• View all the installed apps and see which ones are keeping them occupied.
• Block those apps to end the root cause of their addiction.

This proves helpful in keeping them away from their iPhones and iPads. Apart from that, you can also monitor their calls, contacts, online activity, filter adult content and track their location. Get this from iTunes or click on the buttons below:

Prevent screen addiction!

This addiction is damaging our young generation in more than one way and it’s high time that parents take an action against it. We don’t want to raise socially inept, anxious individuals. We want our kids to be healthy and active to match the speed of this world. This can only be done if we prevent screen addiction from the beginning. Start using the FamilyTime screen time app today and prevent your kids.

ROLE OF PARENTS IN EDUCATING TEENS ABOUT SAFE INTERNET USE AND THE INTERNET WEB FILTER!

At least in the United States, a large part of parents advise their children about the dangers that exist on the Internet, especially in Social Networks. According to a study, more than 93% have talked to their kids about ways to use the Internet and mobile phones safely.

Following up with the summary of the study called - Teens, kindness and cruelty on Social Media Sites, how American teenagers navigate the new world of 'digital citizenship' - have revealed about the attitude of parents and the relationship with the children as well as the attitude of the children in the face of any threat or undesired acts carried out on the Internet.

Below is the summary of the investigation.

• For general advice and influence, parents are still the main source of teen Internet and cell phone users. 86% of adolescent said they have received general advice on how to use the Internet responsibly on behalf of parents. 70% of adolescents online and using cell-say they have received advice on Internet safety from teachers or another adult at school. 45% have received advice from friends or classmates, 45% have received general advice of a relative age, and 46% have received safety advice on the Internet from a brother, sister or cousin. 
• 58% of Internet teens and cell phone users say that their parents have been the biggest influence on what they think is appropriate or inappropriate when using the Internet or a cell phone. 18% of teens say that their friends have been their biggest influence on appropriate Internet or cellular phone behavior. 18% say that "nobody" has influenced them. 
• The vast majority of adolescents say that they have private social website profiles that are visible only to -friends-, 62% of teenagers who have a social profile say that the profile they use most often is set to be Private so that only their friends can see the content they post. 19% say that their profile is partially private so that friends of their friends or their networks can see some version of their profile. 17% say that their profile is public so that everyone can see it. 
• The study also mentions that beyond social networks, teenagers are at least once in a while thinking about the impact of their fingerprints and how the content associated with their names can affect their reputation. More than half of all online teens (55%) say they have decided not to post something online, as they were worried that it might present a bad image in the future. The older age group of online teens-who is likely to be preparing or in the middle of college and job applications, report the highest levels of this type of digital retention; 67% of the 17-year-old line say they have withheld content that could damage their reputation.

REAL USER DATA

44% of online teens admit to having lied about their age in order to access a website or sign up to enable an online account. Regarding passwords, 47% of girls aged between 14-17 say they have shared their passwords, compared to 27% of boys of the same age.

ADVICE FOR PARENTS

The vast majority of parents have had conversations with their teens about online safety and real risk. This is the reason we see parents as a kid’s consultant in the study results given above. But educating kids all alone is not enough. In addition to educating kids, parents are encouraged to take preventive actions such as using the internet web filter app to block, filter or control their children's online activities. For that, one app worth trying is FamilyTime that offers a range of monitoring and parental control features to parents. To try this app for free, go now to the app store on your phone and get it from there. You can also get this app in a jiffy from the buttons given below:

HOW EXCESSIVE USE OF SCREENS MAY AFFECT YOUR CHILDREN IN THE FUTURE?

Parents are concerned about the excessive number of hours our children spend in front of the screens. Your generation will be the first to benefit or suffer its effects. Already the university professors are warning of the problems that they observe in the students like the difficulties to read long passages of a text. Limiting the time they spend glued to a screen has become a battle for most parents.

Current scenario:

The teenagers have changed their favorite activity that was going out with their friends. Before, they carried out social activities every day, such as going to the movies or going shopping. Now they spend more than 6 hours a day surfing the Internet, sending text messages to their friends or interacting on social networks. 

Dependence on screens

Not only parents should worry about the abusive use of mobile phones and instant messaging applications such as WhatsApp, but also that of screens. Spending less time with friends prevents developing social skills. A 2014 study conducted among sixth grade students who spent only five days in a camp without using screens, determined that these students improved the interpretation of their peers' emotions through eye contact. Screens can stunt adolescents' social skills. It has also been proven that this generation reads a lot less books, magazines or newspapers than the previous ones, which can affect their reading comprehension.

But technologies not only give problems but also benefits. The teenagers of this generation are more tolerant, open and have more realistic expectations than the previous one. The iGen feel part of a technified, urban, versatile and committed community. Unlike their parents or grandparents, technology allows them to increase their relationships over physical boundaries. The Internet facilitates access to hundreds of cultures and subcultures unknown to other generations.

That's why we recommend parents to manage their screen time rather than banning the facility on them. For this, parents can use the screen time app such as FamilyTime to manage time their kids spend with technology or in front of the screens. Having this incredible app in hand, parents can perform a number of important tasks including:

• Setting up Daily Limits: Set screen limits on a daily basis and curb device use during dinner, bed, and study time etc. 
• Implement Family Pause: Whenever you feel the need to stop their device use, you can implement phone lock in one-touch. This is a handy feature for unplanned limits and digital detox. 
• Provide Them TimeBank: Kids can save their screen time minutes in their TimeBank and can use it whenever they wish to. This feature helps them know the importance of time and productive use of screens etc. 
• Manage their App Usage: You can also block apps and set a usage limit on apps to reduce the time. 

How does that sound? This is what you need to handle screen time issues like a pro. With FamilyTime screen time app you not only get this, but excellent tracking and monitoring features as well. Download the app and use the premium features for free, for three days or if you want to learn more, visit the website.

Spending 6 hours a day stuck to the screens can report serious problems. We have to try to promote the sociability of our children and stay with their friends, go out and enjoy their adolescence. It's not about banning screens, but limiting the excessive time they spend on them.

FAMILYTIME APP – THE BEST TOOL TO MONITOR KIDS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD!

Every day it becomes more difficult to disconnect kids from the Internet. Between free Wi-Fi connection points, affordable family data plans and quick connections in the houses, it would seem that to disconnect kids, a well-calculated effort must be made. This is a real challenge for parents because every day it also becomes more difficult to control and monitor what our children do on the Internet and social networks. But there are too many points that must be blocked. Let me explain you.

The not-so-old advice was to make friends with their children on Facebook, follow them on Twitter and know what they are doing on Instagram. This can still work in some cases, but the reality is that we need a paradigm shift. We have to admit that we have no idea what they are doing or where they are doing it. The recent wave of suicides on Facebook shows us that monitoring the activity of our children in one or two social networks is not enough. We have to stop monitoring only the applications they are using and we have to monitor the device. To really know what is happening, you need to be able to monitor:

• The sites they visit
• The applications that they are using
• How are they using them
• Social networks or social applications that are being used
• The photos that they are taking
• The images they are sharing
• The messages that they are sending and receiving
• Understand each of the applications they have installed
• Of course, understand the abbreviations they use to communicate via text
• Places that they physically visit

When we monitor the phone, the computer or the tablet, we can see what they are doing no matter what application they are using. If you really want to know what is happening in your child's life, if they are being bullied, if they are the bully, if they are being harassed or are trying to explore sites that are not appropriate for their age, you need to stop pretending that you know everything and monitor them seriously. How do you do that?

First, the basics. Never deliver electronic equipment such as a smartphone, iPod Touch, iPad or other tablet and of course, a computer, to a child without adjusting the controls designed to protect them. These options vary depending on the operating system, but the effects are generally similar between those found blocking adult sites, banning explicit content, use of inappropriate applications such as games of violence, etc. One application that proves extremely beneficial in this regard is FamilyTime app. With this app in hand, parents can perform all the above mentioned tasks with a lot of others, including contact monitoring, contact Watchlisting, application blocker, Geo-fencing, teen safe drive option, alerts and much more. Do you want to have a look at the app yourself and give it a try for free? You can! Go now to the app store on your phone and install the trial version of the app from there. You can also get this app in a jiffy just by hitting the buttons given below:

INTERNET SECURITY FOR CHILDREN: 5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW TO DO!

Currently these questions appear in many debates: How to protect children from the great and, often, unknown digital world? How to protect children on the internet? How to avoid the risks of the digital world? What should I know to advise my children on the internet? What measures do I have to take to ensure the safety of my children online?

First, we propose a game: can you tell what these concepts mean?

Tweet, profile, fake, follow Friday, meme, "change status", Instagram, Snapchat, youtubers, influencers, event, Google play, hashtag, trending topic...

Some sure sound good, but others you have never heard. Whether you know what they mean, or not, it's important that you keep reading!

Internet safety tips for children:

Today we bring you some tips for children to navigate safely through the network, but also some very simple steps to learn how to monitor their internet use in order to create digital barriers against possible threats.

Surely your child is prevented from what may happen to him on a daily basis on the street, security on the internet is also based on education. Just as you say:

1. Do not talk to strangers in the street: do not chat, or add people you do not know, even if your profile picture is that of a child.
2. Do not accept gifts from anyone: do not accept invitations from people you do not know and less, if they offer you something in return.
3. Do not tell your personal information to anyone who is not trusted. Do not give sensitive information: home address, mobile, email, bank details on your wall or chat to anyone, you never know who is behind. It can happen that you ask your own friends to those who have usurped their identity.
4. Do not go alone on the street. In this case, the location of the computer at home is important. This should be in an area of ​​the busy house: living room or dining room, so you can "keep an eye" from time to time.
5. Do not let people come near to you in the street. Do not send photos and videos committed to anyone , or upload pictures that you would be ashamed to see other people. They can be used by people you do not know and who illegally access them.
6. If something happened to you, call me running, whatever it is, I will help you even if you have not obeyed me. If you are threatened or banned online, do not hesitate to tell me, I can help you.

Nowadays it is abnormal to find fathers or mothers who do not know "something" of the universe of social networks, chat tools and search engines, however, it is important to delve a little more in certain concepts, especially, because your children will assume that you will know how to act before any problem that happens to them on the internet. And they can come to you with any problem.

In addition to their education, make use of Android parental monitoring apps such as FamilyTime to see how well your kids follow your instructions. Having this tool in hand, you can keep an eye on all their digital activities that they perform through their personalized gadgets. Do you wish to see how does this happen? Give FamilyTime a try for free by getting it from the app store on your phone!

USE FAMILY MONITORING APP TO KEEP YOUR TEEN’S SMARTPHONE USAGE UNDER CONTROL

Children these days are dealing with so much responsibility at such young and fragile age. As an average, a child as young as 11 years of age gets their hands on their first smartphone. Here are a few things parents need to teach their kids:

1. Analyze Your Child’s Behavior

It is absolutely up to you to decide whether or not your teen should be using a cell phone. It is not easy to decide that what particular age is suitable to give children cell phone because every child differs from the other. As parents, we have our own worries and reservations about buying a new phone for our children. Observe your child’s behavior and make sure they are mature enough to take the responsibility of keeping a cell phone before actually buying one for them.

2. Smartphone Contract

A smartphone contract helps parents in teaching their kids the basic etiquettes of using screens. You can add as many rules in this contract as you want, but you need to make sure your teenager understands them all. Make sure you set those rules that are convenient for them to follow else they might start lying to you once they have got their phone in their hands.

3. Discuss Non Acceptable Conduct

Teenagers may get themselves involved in digital dangers while using cell phones. Digital dangers include:

• Cyberbullying and exchange of hate speech
• Sexting- Sharing inappropriate and explicit pictures with each other. Underage sexting is considered as child pornography and is illegal in the eyes of law.
• Adult Websites- Teenagers may explore pornographic content on the web using their smartphones. Parents need to take special care to ensure their child does not get addicted to adult content
• Strangers Online- Many incidents of sexual assault have occurred due to online interaction between a stranger and a child. These strangers online manipulate kids and are extremely dangerous for children 
• Communicate with them about these risks so that they feel prepared if in case they experience anything dangerous. 

4. Take Advantage of a Family Monitoring App

A family monitoring app such as FamilyTime enable parents to stay connected with their teen’s online as well as offline activities. Download a parental app to manage your teen’s conduct. With the help of the FamilyTime app, parents can:

• Schedule auto screen locks on teen’s device to regulate their cell phone usage
• Check the app usage frequency of installed apps on their mobile and can block the addictive ones
• Monitor their web behavior, text messages call logs, contact list and location history

There is a lot more that parents can do with this app. To know exactly what you can do, give FamilyTime app a free try. With the trial version, you can explore all premium features of FamilyTime yourself. You can get the FamilyTime app from the app store on your phone. You can also get it in a jiffy from the buttons given below:

THE PROBLEMS FACED BY SINGLE PARENTS AND SOLUTIONS!

There are many challenges that are unique to single parenthood, regardless of gender. However, there are many ways to overcome these challenges. Although being a single mother is demanding, it can be very rewarding by managing time and money limitations. Reaching out to friends and family for support and assistance whenever possible is the key. To help all single parents out there, here we have compiled a list of problems that they face with the solutions that work for them. Have a look!

Common problems in Parenting as a Single Parent

Some of the common problems faced by single parents are:

1. The need to have help for household chores, something that will reduce play time and quality with your children.
2. Children may have problems with authority figures who expect unconditional obedience.
3. Single parents may feel the need to have company with other adults, but not find time for it because they must be in charge of their children all the time.
4. It can be difficult for a parent to apply positive discipline at home when he spends a lot of time outside the home in order to get money.
5. You may feel some envy of other parents who have more organized or more harmonious lifestyles with their partners.
6. Having new relationships can be complicated, especially if you have a child with a tendency to be jealous.

Solution to Cope with all these Problems:

To cater to every problem mentioned above, here are some solutions:

1. You as a single parent should try to balance your work and family life as to run your house effectively, you need money.
2. Communicate all your problems with your kids so they become the supporting hand
3. Try to be friend with your kids so they remain close to you even if you stay busy in earning for them
4. Make use of the trendy family locator apps for iPhone such as FamilyTime that connects you with your kids even on the go and enable them to get in touch with you in a single tap from anywhere. 
5. Participate in your community. A group of people who support you can provide you with emotional support and a sense of belonging. And that is the perfect antidote against the isolation that comes with being a single mother or father.
6. Accept the help you get. For some people, this is easy to say, but difficult to do.
7. Make contingency plans. It's midnight, your baby has a fever and you do not have medicine. Or, you are also sick, throwing up and can not take care of your baby. Without the presence of another adult in your life, what can you do? It is important to be prepared for this type of situation. Find out if there is an emergency child care service in your area. Keep in mind that these services can be expensive, but they can get you out of a hurry. 

With these simple tips, you can manage to cope with the parenting problems. So make use of these and simplify parenting!