Do you know what your teen is doing while they are using their phones and other devices?

[Maggiemay]

i was having this discussion with some friends the other day and am wondering how other parents are monitoring their teens usage of technology.  

Looking forward to reading your responses. 

[readthemanual]

i know that my daughter opens up million widows while doing her homework. I have not ventured to find out what she is actually saying to her friends, but I know in general their topics. We are close and she discuss, debate things with me.

In fact, she is very curious and go through all my phone wechat apps frequently!

[Sophie-RO]

I think this is on the minds of many parents...
What do you think about these tips for helping your teen use their phone wisely? There is a bit more detail here...

[Mitzi]

They are great tips @Sophie-RO - sums it up nicely. We can't watch them every minute so equipping our teens with good values, explaining the dangers of predators, ensuring they know the groundrules - that's the best we can do. They are probably going to be as curious as we were ourselves. The difference today is the ease of access to potentially disturbing content.

I would feel bad peeking at my son's browsing history for a number of reasons: firstly I believe I have taught him what is and is not acceptable and I believe that he respects that (maybe I am gullible!). Secondly, he is a young man now and he already asks me really really awkward questions so I don't think he hides much from me (again, maybe I'm blissfully unaware).

But you know I think about what it must be like for the parents of out-of-control kids who commit crimes and I think most of them probably felt they were being responsible parents as well. 

And now I realise I have been NO help on the topic at all. 

[readthemanual]

@Mitzi I am with you here. I think we respect our kids and have good relationship with them, which is the cause? I would say it's a harmoneous cycle.

One thing that helps in dealing with children: always remember to recall what we did when we were young.

[Sophie-RO]

I agree with you guys! Respect and trust are important and can empower them to act accordingly!

[Maggiemay]

These tips are great @Sophie-RO.  But what happens when you find our that your teen is the one trolling and stalking others?  This is a serious offence and when the parents are not aware of the events taking place it leaves them questioning themselves as parents.

[Sophie-RO]

Definitely need new and creative ways to address the people bullying - not just the people in the receiving end. Stop it at it's source! There is some good info on this page. Do you think it sounds realistic? Are these steps you could take if you thought your child was bullying someone else? 

Aaaand - it's not uncommon. The article says research has shown that around 10-20% of students will be a cyberbully at some point.