To Spy or Not To Spy...That (For Parents) Is The Question

So you’ve given your child a cell phone—nay, a smartphone—and you’re not sure if that was a good idea. Nay again—a smart idea. But how can you know until you actually do it? Depending on the necessity of providing your child with the device or the responsibility level of your loved one, the answer may vary from parent to parent.

Today, the definition of a necessity has changed from when we were kids and our parents were kids. Things that were once free (like water and television reception) or readily available (like payphones and stay-at-home parents) are now basically things of the past. Nowadays, having a cell phone at one’s side is basically a necessity. Our kids are out and about and there’s no one to keep an eye on them or aid them, because either both parents are working or the child comes from a single-parent home. And making a phone call from outside a house’s landline is practically an impossibility nowadays, because pay phones have gone the way of the dodo.

So today’s parent is left with an option they are not always sure that they are ready to deal with: giving their child a cell phone to stay in touch. But chances are that once you give that kid a mobile device, he or she will start using it for more than just “keeping in touch.”

Today’s smartphones are powerful computers that provide all of the world’s wonders—and dangers—at any time twenty-four hours a day. But you don’t have to go through the process blindly. It’s a good idea to sit down with your loved one and set some ground rules about using their mobile device responsibly. Here are some helpful tips:

• Explain to them that having the device is a privilege not a birthright. It can be taken away.
• Tell them no phone after bedtime and make them leave their cell in a public area of the house during the night to quell any urge use it once it’s lights out.
• Teach them about the hidden costs of ringtones, texts and apps—all of which are not covered by your data plan.
• Insist that they obey the school rules. Tell them to turn it off during school hours and tell them you’re going to check it if they test you.
• Teach them the dangers of misuse. Every text, every email, every post, every picture is forever in the digital world. If they say something bad or join in on something wrong, it will never go away.
• If they’re older, insist that they never every EVER text, talk, surf or view anything while driving.
• Teach them to never respond to a number they don’t know. Predators are waiting to pounce at all times and prey on unsuspecting kids. If they don’t know the number, then don’t reply. No matter how many times they try.
• Insist that they turn it off once in a while and do something else like play sports, draw or actually sit down and have a real face-to-face conversation with someone. Hopefully you!

Or if all else fails, you can always install a good spy app for tracking cell phones on their device to make sure they’re doing the right thing. An inexpensive, easy-to-use mobile spy app like Auto Forward will let you access the target phone—no matter where it is—in order to observe emails, pictures, texts, calls, locations, social media usage and more. And although it’s not a free cell phone spy or a phone locator free, Auto Forward’s powerful features stand head and shoulders above other cell phone spies.