iPhones. iPads, MacBooks, and Minis. Can technology keep your kids safe?!
If you or your spouse have a smart phone, you may have received the AMBER Alert this week. My husband and I did, and we were surprised to see the new alert. A quick trip to Instagram (IG) confirmed we weren’t alone. As a mother and a communication expert, I am constantly investigating the ways in which we use technology within our families. Frequently this comes in terms of limiting exposure for our little ones, their developing brains, and our busy adult brains too. This week the Amber Alert was a reminder that, like many areas of life, it is all about balance. Technology can be, and is used for good!
Why the alert? The “AMBER” in AMBER Alert is also an acronym: “America’s Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response.” It has successfully helped law enforcement officials save at least three people this week alone. The program is described by the nonprofit National Center for Missing & Exploited Children as “a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, broadcasters, transportation agencies, and the wireless industry, to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases.” They have now begun to use the internet to support their efforts in safety, joining with Google and smartphone companies across the nation. It may have woken you up, but it may have also saved a life. How can you use technology for the safety of your family?
Keep the Alerts on: For your family and others, technology opens us up for more community. In this day and age the internet is the new milk carton. Your flier for everything from your lost dog to a missing child is more successful when posted for your online community to repost, share, and be on the lookout for solutions with you. Keeping the alerts on means you can help others and should you ever need it, they can help you. Unplugging is important too. Keep your phone out of your room after 10 PM or schedule a ‘Do Not Disturb’ function, Check out Apple’s here, to turn on nightly.
Help Children Protect their Personal Information: With numbers for responses and “tagging locations,” it is not too early for you to discuss the necessities of guarding personal information on the internet. Let your child know to only accept followers or friends if they know the person, to never provide phone numbers of physical locations, and to always come to you if anything online is questionable or scary.
Limit Technology Use: At some point our children will begin to use technology. Keep in mind it is up to you how much access your children have within your home. Setting limits allows for appreciation of use, respect for time, and freedom to live outside of technology! Splitting time between television, phone/video games, and Internet use is a great way to provide choices for you child while still protecting their brains, bodies, and childhood.
With a few guidelines your little one can stay safe in the virtual world. Even more than this, technology can be used to help us all stay connected. Enjoy the ease of technology, but don’t be afraid to unplug.