How do you keep up with the technology & apps your kids are using? - £200 voucher to be won

[MaddyMumsnet]

Created for Vodafone
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Have the tech-tables turned on you? It can feel impossible to keep tabs on all the technology our children have access to when everything from our TVs and gaming consoles, to fridges and doorbells are connected. In fact, many parents feel their kids know more than them when it comes to digital technology. Therefore, we want to know whether you have tips on becoming more digital savvy.

• Post your stories, challenges or tips in the thread below to be entered into a prize draw
• One lucky MNer will win a £200 voucher for a store of their choice.

Here’s what Vodafone has to say: “At Vodafone, we see taking action to help keep children safe online a priority. That’s why we’ve launched Digital Parenting Pro, one of the biggest parental controls and safety settings resources in the UK, to empower parents and carers to keep up with their kids and improve their own digital skills."

“Our research reveals parents and carers feel their child’s digital knowledge overtakes their own by the age of 12, this shows just how digitally savvy children are these days. Our new content rich hub is a place for adults to get information so they can feel confident about what their kids are up to online, what social media they use, games they play and threats they might come across."

“You can find the resources here.”

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!
MNHQ

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I don't let my DS and DD connect anything to the internet before I have looked at the settings, to make sure that privacy settings are at the highest. I have deep concerns over my smart devices - google hub etc monitoring everything we say. (no I am not wearing my tin foil hat 😅) I need to learn about these settings - I just connected them. - and did not do a deep dive into their settings

This is such good advice! We learned from our mistakes which is never a good idea and I would not recommend!

I feel like a dinosaur to be honest. I always thought i was quite up on things, but my 9 yr old seems to know all the IT stuff naturally. His school sent home some links to online safety etc, so im looking through this. I don't know enough currently, so i dont allow online gaming yet, but realise it won't be too long before he's asking for it so i need to learn.

Despite being over 40, and a mum, I find I'm quite capable of using technology and the internets

I do feel overwhelmed by current tech - how the latest apps work, privacy settings. Because of this my DS has a really basic phone - no apps, it's just so he can contact me. I will however allow a smartphone when I feel that the time is right, and trust them to make the correct choices, and talk to us about anything they are unsure of. I worry about who is lurking in the cyber world

Because I'm more techy than they are and I don't see that changing any time soon.

I think it's the opposite. The OP portrays us as silly old duffers, like we've grown up in the 1920s or something, and are ignorant of those newfangled computer thingys. In reality, the technology was developed by people 2 generations before us and we grew up being trained to use it properly for a variety of purposes. Because we're so used to it, we forget our children don't understand it all like we do and we leave them to it. That's where the danger is.

I think I am quite savvy on all things tech - as they all come with instructions - and a YouTube expert is almost always on hand to solve your problems. I think it is important to stay ahead and talk to your children about on-line safety.
Saying that - can anyone connect a laptop to a wireless printer 😱

I feel to have evolved as technology has evolved, and from the basic nokia to t latest IPhone feel to have mastered everything I need to. One good tip I read from the posters about gaming consoles - tell your teens that you are monitoring the usage and messages - even if you are not/ cannot.
And yes I can connect my laptop to my printer

I think I have basic awareness of TV's and phones - I have a blackspot with gaming consoles, and because of this I restrict their use online. I think they are open to bullying, and I feel vulnerable children if not monitored are at risk

I have set the parental controls on. my DS tablet, and the modem, the switch is only allowed in the dining room, attached to the TV, I can then listen in on any external interaction - and only school friends allowed.

1. Is look on YouTube for parent tutorials for phones/tablets etc
2. Talk to you children about Internet safety
3. Have a agreement with older kids such as you must study for a hour to get Internet /gaming time

4.If up your worried about age related content try using a kindle as they have more control for you to set up age parameters. Family link is also a great app to regulate content for your child's age and set up time restrictions.

1. Talk to other parents in the playground/mumsnet or friends as things change so quick online.

If in doubt, I always Google it!🤣
Also, My 14year old knows more than me and gives me a tutorial on anything I am stuck on!!

He always gets a boost teaching me something for once lol

I feel completely in the know about tech. Luckily my boys are too young for their own phones yet but I will be allowing them to have a phone for the last term of year 6 to keep in contact with their friends. There's a way you can link their phone account to yours and to control the content they see, which we will use to start with. Once I trust they're responsible I will allow them more privacy probably at around 14 but I think it's important to monitor what they see/ do online to protect them.

We've found it relatively easy to lock a child only gadget like their phone and much more difficult to restrict child access on shared items like the TV and xbox. It's too easy for the kids to accidentally make purchases and it's not in the interests of the companies to make it more preventable.

I don't think I need to be tech savvy as I find parental controls are fairly easy to set up and use, Google and YouTube are easy to search to find information where needed.

Keep up with tech, have an up to date phone and try to use different apps. If you take your eye off the ball you’ll fall behind!

The dcs do seem to find working things out easier sometimes.

big one is setting an agreement early that mobiles and all other tech will be checked regularly. All tech belongs to us, the iPad, the laptop, the phone - it can be removed.

im another that hates tech listening to me. We don’t have an Alexa etc in our house for that reason and I hate the targeted ads after being listened to.

I started with really good intentions when my eldest first got his phone in Y6 and access to the internet, I even downloaded an app (and paid the monthly subscription) that had good reviews that meant that I could control the amount of screen time he had and turn off his internet access from my phone.

It took him less than a month to figure out how to remove it from his phone and took me a little longer to find out. Lots of 'fixes' from the company but nothing seemed to prevent him from getting the app off his phone.

Mid teenager years we took to locking keeping the router in the one room downstairs with a lock on the door, turning it off at night, locking the door and keeping the key in our bedroom. This led to an unfortunate event during lockdown, when DH went to his school to teach his online lesson in his quiet empty office with the key in his pocket. We had a panic at home as I had our three children and no internet (his school was only 5 minutes away so after a panicky call he brought the key home)

Now, we just talk to the three of them, they know my rule is only things that they are the approprate age for, but if they are close to the right age for the games we will sit down with them and discuss it, read the review and see what other people have thought of the content. Being able to discuss it and put their case for the game seems to be better than a blanket no, when they used to try and do it behind our backs.

My DS is doing an Esports BTEC at college so his argument these days for new games is he needs them for his course which we don't alway believe.

But all three are better than me with tech. they have grown up with it, while I have had to learn how to use it as an adult.

I restricted my router, I join all the social platforms they use and stalk them 🙈 I do night time checks on phones removes phones from bedrooms. I have age restricted set on you tube etc

Tech wasn’t such a big thing when my older two were kids/teens. Computer science wasn’t available as a subject in school and the internet, smart tv’s etc we’re in there infancy so we were all learning together. The last 15 years things have moved on so much and ds3 (16) is more tech savvy that the rest of us. Ds2 works in software development and keeps an eye on his younger brother. When he was younger I limited what he could access but now I really just have to trust him as he could override any controls I set. He’s much more knowledgeable than me.

YouTube is a great resource. They show me bits and bobs and generally are happy to teach, which can be good fun

I'm lucky that there are older teens in the family who have helped me to navigate this. My dds are increasingly competent with tech and enjoy some gaming.

My first rule is open use, so in main parts of the house, not bedrooms.

Do new devices come with a QR code to go to a video on 'how to' ? That would be a great resource for me.

Dd's are 12 and 13. One has WhatsApp and Snapchat (as do I) the other doesn't.

I talk to DC a lot about online safety, only having real life friends as online friends, photos, privacy etc but I need to get more up to date. Realistically DD1 is better with phones than me, DD2 is better at TV tech and games than me.

My 70yo Dad however is the tech fixer in the family.

In all honesty it feels like yet another job I need to find the time to master.