Find out how predators and children are having secret conversations on the iPhone Notes app.

Charge Your Child’s Phone in Your Room at Night

When your children go to bed, take their mobile devices out of their rooms and charge them in your room. Electronic devices in a bedroom after lights out is a distraction from a good night’s sleep. Many teens have reported to me that merely having an electronic device in their bedroom, even one they know they should not use, causes anxiety. They know it’s there, and they are wondering what is going on. They have a condition known as FOMO: Fear of Missing Out. It is impossible for them to turn off their anxiety-producing moment-to-moment fear of missing something their friends are sharing.

Revisit the Technology Contract

80% of parents have never discussed Internet safety with their children. Talking to thousands of parents every year, I have learned parents are not having this vital talk with their children because they do not know what to say. The number one safety factor in any child’s life is a parent that will speak to them about necessary, and sometimes tricky topics like Internet safety, bullying, drug use, vaping, etc. The Mobile Device and Internet Contract is a parent’s script to opening a meaningful conversation about cyber safety with their child. Read each point to them, and then ask them to share their thoughts about it. Ask open-ended questions like, “Why do you think this is a good idea,” or “what could happen if you let a stranger into your Instagram account?”

Use Screen Time Limits

Teens who spent more time on new media (screens) were more likely to report mental health issues than those who spent time on no ...