The world can be a scary place sometimes, and nowhere is this more evident than with the advancement of technology. There are so many wonderful ways in which technology can help us in our lives, and this is so important. However, you also have to keep in mind that technology has the potential to threaten our kids and put them at risk, and this is something you will need to try to combat. Technology always has positives and negatives, and the more you can do to understand it, the better.
It seems almost impossible these days to not embrace the ever-changing world, and this means equipping your children with the latest gadgets. Your children need to have smartphones these days, for a variety of different reasons. 43% of teens cite texting as their main reason for owning a cell phone, and it’s believed that ⅓ of American teens send more than 100 texts per day. This shows what you are dealing with, and the reason why you need to try to take action. Protecting our kids online matters more than ever, and it’s the same with phones.
However, if you are going to do this, you need to make sure you keep them safe and protected, and this means looking at how to block unwanted text on your kids’ phones.
Protect Your Kids
You need to do as much as you can to make sure your kids are as safe as possible when using their phones, and this means thinking about what they are being exposed to properly. There are so many dangers involved in text messaging, and this is something you need to make sure you get sorted. It’s not just things like sexting that children need protection from with their phones. You also need to think about things like cyber bullying, and how 1 in 5 teens is a victim of some sort of cyber bullying, and text messages are a common form of this.
Use FamilyOrbit
One of the best ways of being able to screen and block unwanted content in messages on your kids phone is to make sure you use FamilyOrbit. This is one of the leading app programs you can use to help ensure you are screening and monitoring what your child is exposed to by way of text messages. With this service, you can monitor what your children are doing on their phone, who they are speaking to, and what they are talking about. This is a revolutionary way of changing parenting, easing worries, and helping you do what is best for your kids long-term.
Go to Settings
By going to your Settings, you can deal with blocking unwanted text messages in a more simple and basic way. This is because you can choose to block the phone’s ability to receive messages from specific numbers, and this is something you need to make sure you work on. If you head to the Settings and find the Messages section, you will be able to select which numbers you are looking to block incoming text messages from. On some phones, there may also be the option to block certain phrases in order to filter unsuitable content, and this is something that can be found on Android.
Use ScreenTime
With iOS 13, Apple introduced a built-in parental control mechanism called the ScreenTime. This must-wanted app introduced a set of new features that can help parents control, filter and limit screen time and apps appropriately. Basically it has the following major features:
Content Restrictions: You can prevent your child from accidentally downloading age-inappropriate apps or visiting adult websites. Simply turn on the age-based restrictions inside the Screen Time app and you are good to go.
Limit ScreenTime: You can program the settings to limit screen time on the child’s device. Simply set a start time and end time when you want the device to be locked and Apple iOS will prevent using the device during the downtime.
Communication Limit: to block unwanted text messages from your child’s phone, you can make use of the Apple ScreenTime feature. You can set contacts blacklist or allow communication with only the contacts you approve of. This way your child can only talk or text the people you approve of.
Disallow Safari/Camera: Besides Messages, you can also disallow in-built apps like the web browser Safari, Camera, FaceTime and more from being used on the iPhone. You can also disallow installing or uninstall any apps on your child’s phone. In-App purchase can also be disallowed, which also is a life-saver or to say wallet-saver.
Consider Other Apps
It is important that you do as much as possible to think about the best ways of taking care of your apps. This is something that can be done properly through the use of apps, and it’s something you need to take action with right now. So, there are a lot of apps you can use that are going to help you achieve this, in addition to FamilyOrbit. It would also be worth checking out in-depth and multifunctional text blocker apps such as OurPact, and Pumpic. These are going to be instrumental when it comes to helping you look after your kids and make sure they are not exposed to the wrong things.
Keeping your kids safe online is hard enough, and you can do things like monitoring their internet usage. But, this is very different to when they are using their cell phones, as these can be used any time, anywhere. Trying to block certain words is a great way of being able to ensure they are not exposed to unsuitable communications, and cuts down on the risk of things like sexting. These are some great ideas you can use that are going to help you improve the way you block text and messages that are not appropriate, and this is something to keep in mind right now.