With our extremely interconnected world, it is more vital than ever to know what your kids are doing online. You can never be too safe when monitoring your kids’ internet usage.

Ken Colburn, a tech expert with a company called Data Doctors, which specializes in computer repair and data recovery, points out the importance of monitoring your children.

“It’s OK. It’s not snooping. It’s just sharing and making sure you’re staying safe,” he says.

He says he sees countless parents who are worried about what their children are doing in their downtime.

“You’ve got to start early, have the frank discussions about the dangers and the open discussion about, ‘I’m supposed to be able to see what you’re doing,’” he says.

There are numerous apps that allow you to monitor your children, but he advises parents to do their research.

“Unfortunately, there’s not a one-size-fits-all, so it’s up to the parents to understand to what do I want to do, because in some cases you can get overbearing, depends on your relationship with your child,” he says. 

An app called Mobicip will allow parents to review browsing history and disable certain activities, like shopping and online dating. The app is free, but you can purchase premium features at an additional cost.

MSpy is an app that gives parents total control of their kids’ cell phone. Parents can monitor all cell phone activities and receive the location of their child. The app is free, but certain features are an additional cost. 

Norton Family allows parents to filter certain content, track their location, and it sends weekly reports concerning kids’ activities. The app also allows parents to limit the time children stay on their devices. The app is free, and there are certain features available for purchase.