As of the time of writing, Facebook is the most popular social media platform, boasting over 3 billion monthly active users worldwide. With such widespread popularity, chances are that your child is on the platform. To help safeguard kids from online dangers, Facebook caps their minimum entry age to 13 years. However, it is common to find kids lying about their age to sign up on the platform well before their 13th birthday.
Since Facebook is such a huge part of how people interact these days, it’s important to make sure your children are using it safely. Thankfully, Facebook offers some parental controls that can help you keep an eye on things, set some boundaries, and give you a bit of peace of mind. In this article, we’ll walk you through how to set those up and make sure your kid has a safer experience online. Let’s get started!
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Why Does Your Child Need Parental Control on Facebook?
Facebook hosts a lot of daily visitors, and this brings with it a host of dangers. This is especially risky for its underage users, as they are more likely to fall prey to predators on the platform. Some of the risks to children include:
Inappropriate Content
We are living in the age of information, which is great since you can access in-depth information about virtually any topic with ease. On the flip side, this also means that harmful information is just as easy to access. Though Facebook algorithms ban porn and other adult content, it is not uncommon to see such things on the platform. As such, your child may be exposed to this inappropriate content, as well as the perverts and other criminals who share it online. This calls for rigorous Facebook parental controls.
Cyberbullying
Adolescents and teenagers can be cruel, which is why cases of bullying are so rampant in schools. This is even worse on Facebook and other social media platforms, where bullies step it up because they feel that they are far removed from the consequences of their actions. It is not uncommon for multitudes of people to participate in bullying a single Facebook user, which can have untold effects on your child if they are on the receiving end. Therefore, it is important to keep tabs on your child’s online activity before they suffer from irreparable damage.
Identity Theft
Anyone who signs up to any online platform risks leaking their personal information. However, most adults are aware of this risk, and they take appropriate measures to mitigate it. Children may be less familiar with online safety practices and are likely to leak personally identifiable information to strangers on Facebook. This could lead to financial losses or, worse still, identity theft cases with untold legal consequences since children aged 15-18 represent about 43% of reported identity theft cases.
Online Predators
There are several unscrupulous characters online who prey on vulnerable individuals. These predators often gain their victim’s trust before blackmailing them with the information they have gathered via false pretenses. Children can easily fall prey to this, as predators often pose as their agemates and solicit information about their parents. Some have even been known to ask for pictures and favors of a sexual nature. Fortunately, with effective parental control measures, you can identify these predators long before they strike.
Top Parental Monitoring Apps
There are several apps you could employ to keep tabs on your child’s activity on Facebook and other social media platforms. To help separate the wheat from the chaff, we’ve compiled a list of the best of these apps.
uMobix
uMobix is a comprehensive monitoring app that provides a one-stop solution for all your surveillance needs. Its Facebook tracker is especially popular, as it provides full access to your child’s Facebook account. With it, you can skim through their newsfeed and view posts from the accounts your child follows. It also allows you to restrict access to inappropriate content and block any suspicious user.
The uMobix Facebook tracker saves you the hassle of creating fake accounts to stalk your child. It works in incognito mode, ensuring your child never knows you’re watching. What’s more, it’s pretty straightforward to set up. All you need to do is:
- Register:Click the “Try Now” button on the uMobix website and sign up using your email address.
- Select your child’s device: Choose whether your child’s phone is an Android or iOS.
- Purchase a subscription: uMobix offers three subscription options – monthly, quarterly, and annual. Select a suitable plan and complete the purchase.
- Install the app on the target phone: Follow the instructions in your email to install and set up the app on your child’s phone.
- Begin monitoring: After setting up, head on to your dashboard to begin monitoring. Facebook information will be under the related tab on the left. The collected data remains on your dashboard for 90 to 180 days, which you can extend.
uMobix also boasts a variety of other attractive features. These include:
- Call and SMS monitoring:The app allows you access to all incoming and outgoing calls and messages, including deleted ones.
- Location tracking:uMobix uses the latest GPS technology to pinpoint your target’s location in real time. It also provides a comprehensive list of all the places they have visited.
- Access to multimedia:The platform allows you access to all photos and videos stored on your child’s phone. You also have the option to download the files to your device.
- Keylogger:The app boasts a dedicated keylogger that records every input on your child’s keyboard, including usernames and passwords.
XNSPY
XNSPY is a robust monitoring app that boasts a top-of-the-line Facebook tracking feature. Compatible with both Android and iOS devices, the app allows discreet monitoring of all activities of your target on Facebook. XNSPY undergoes regular updates to ensure it keeps up with Facebook’s security and privacy updates. With the XNSPY tracker, you enjoy features such as:
- Monitors all incoming, outgoing, and missed calls, complete with durations and timestamps.
- Access to groups your child interacts with, even private ones.
- Grants access to all SMS communication via the target’s phone.
- Monitoring the Facebook accounts your child follows or adds as friends.
- Allows you to create watchlists for certain contacts who may be pedophiles or bullies.
- View all the comments your child makes on any post and their newsfeed.
- Monitors messages through popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, Signal, etc.
- Offers GPS tracking with near-100% accuracy.
- Provides useful actuarial reports with statistics like top 5 callers, frequently visited sites, and more.
Spyic
On average, the average person spends more than 30 minutes a day on Facebook. Spyic promises to monitor every second of your target’s Facebook use, all while guaranteeing your complete anonymity. Typically, all correspondence sent via Facebook is saved on a file. Spyic retrieves this file and extracts both incoming and outgoing messages, with timestamps alongside each message. This also includes any audio files, videos, photos, or voice notes sent via Facebook Messenger. What’s more, the app grants you access to your child’s contacts and their usage history. It also:
- Provides access to your child’s entire address book so you’ll know exactly who they contact.
- Monitors all incoming and outgoing calls, providing details like durations, timestamps, and frequency of calls.
- Boasts comprehensive SMS and WhatsApp monitoring.
- Features a GPS tracker for pinpointing your child’s exact location.
Conclusion
In today’s modern world, it has become commonplace for children as young as 10 to own smartphones. These smartphones allow them to access all popular social media sites. Facebook, being at the top of that list, exposes them to a variety of risks that children may not be privy to. As such, it is necessary for parents to safeguard their children by monitoring their Facebook activity and looking out for any suspicious characters who approach their children. Fortunately, with any of the apps we’ve discussed, you can achieve this without breaking a sweat.
