The Internet is still the digital Wild West and kids always manage to be in the thick of it. As more checks and balances become available to concerned parents, even more ways of sidestepping parental supervision are emerging. So, when your kid is immersed in X-box or Mine Craft live, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and who knows how many other social media platforms, as a parent you can start to feel helpless. This is why it’s becoming essential to use people search engines to find out who your kids are really talking to.
We all want to respect our children’s privacy; however, when kids generally can’t be trusted to make rational decisions when it comes to setting boundaries strangers online. Have them give you a list of the friends they play video games with, are following or are being followed by. If you are met with the usual resistance, then snooping may be the way to go. If you are privy to their password then log on and jot down all you can find. Ideally, you should insist that they provide you with their password and routinely check their activity. Be the boss here! Search their online history on your cell phone account (assuming they are on it) or contact the phone company to see if you can obtain URLs they may be routinely accessing. Searching their history folder can also help you to see where they have been and sometimes even who they’ve contacted.
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