Reasons to Monitor Your Child's Internet Activity

Some moms, dads, and grandparents I know get a little squeamish about parental monitoring. Are they invading their teen's privacy?

When it comes down to it, parental monitoring isn't about privacy, it's about safety. Here are several reasons for every parent to start monitoring their child's Internet activity.


Cyberbullying. Most kids who are harassed online by cyberbullies suffer emotional distress but never tell their parents. Monitoring can alert you if someone may be bullying your child – or if your child has been bullying someone else.

sexting. Teens might think it's sexy to take and send nude pictures of themselves to someone else, or they might think it's funny to forward along pictures of someone else. Monitoring lets you step in and stop the behavior.

Online Predators. The Internet is the #1 tool of child predators for finding and developing friendships with children. You won't know if one has been talking to your child unless you're watching.