mighty kids
5 APPS THAT
Track & Protect TEENS
By Liz McGehee
J
ust like the training wheels you place on your child’s bike, phone monitoring apps help you protect and guide your child through the modern, technological world. Unfortunately, it’s all too easy for teens to be targeted by predators on social media and online chat rooms. Most teens also fail to recognize that what they post online now can come back to haunt them in 10 years. As a parent, it’s your job to help them navigate the world, and these 5 apps let you do just that:
THE PHONE SHERIFF ($7.50/month) Features: Real time GPS; shows downloaded apps, imessages/texts, contacts, photos, internet and call history; can restrict phone and tablet usage; block specific numbers. Compatibility: iPhone, Android and BlackBerry.
RETHINK (Free) Features: stops cyberbullying; non-intrusive; uses context sensitive filtering to determine potentially offensive posts then gives the teen a chance to rethink their decision; 93% of the time teens change their posts; offensive messages reduced from 71% to 4%; Global Finalist for the MIT Aristotle Award Compatibility: iPhone and Android
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INSPIRE HEALTH
September § October 2017
MAMABEAR (Free) Features: 24/7 family newsfeed and map; automatic check-in when they get to school, work and home so they don’t have to text when they get there; know when they exceed the speed limit while driving; family messaging, photo sharing, like Facebook but more private; emergency panic button that alerts parents to the child’s location. Compatibility: iPhone and Android
LIFESAVER (Free) Features: vetted by the DMV; passcode lock to prevent tampering; provides automatic scoring, rewarding, arrival notifications and in-drive status; monthly driving stats, fast auto-detection of driving without hardware; emergency call and Passenger unlock with notifications; automatic arrival notifications; family views that avoid calling or texting loved ones that are driving, part of the 4Parents solution protecting families on the go. Compatibility: iPhone and Android
MOTOSAFETY ($20/month) Features: Easy installation, rates driver performance; monitors safe driving behaviors, shows location in real time; generates alerts for speeding and more; signals unauthorized usage; maintenance reminders. Compatibility: iPhone and Android
