2025 Year in Review: Digital Safety

Now Available on iOS & Android: Boundrees Parental Control App!

We’re excited to announce that our Boundrees app is officially live! This first release focuses on real-time, on-demand location tracking - giving you instant peace of mind about your child’s whereabouts. This is just the beginning; content monitoring features are coming soon!

Enjoy a 7-day free trial for both iOS & Android:

SAFETY TIP OF THE WEEK

Have weekly “digital check‑ins” with your child to discuss apps, online interactions, and any concerns—keeping the tone supportive builds trust and helps spot risks early.

TODAY’S TOPIC

2025 Year in Review: Digital Safety

Has digital safety ever been a concern with your kids or any kids in your life? Digital Safety is one of the most important topics to discuss with your children as they grow and develop. With cyberbullying, online predators, AI scams - along with other dangers - it can be hard to keep up. Cyberbullying is just one example of how the use of digital devices puts your kids at risk.

Online predators are another risk for children. With the new and improved efforts of apps and companies to restrict kids’ access and separate adults from them, things have improved. Instagram, Roblox, and other apps now require identification and facial scans to ensure safety features match the users of the accounts. This limits children’s access to potentially dangerous features like in-game chat, direct messages, and other inappropriate communications. However, kids will often move on to other apps that don’t have as stringent rules, or be encouraged to do so by online predators. This also raises privacy concerns, as younger kids may share private information—addresses, full names, and more—with strangers online, unaware of the risks.

AI scams are another potential risk for children, as it becomes harder and harder each day to tell humans from AI. Getting phone calls from what appears to be a loved one in need is shocking and sparks adrenaline. It is difficult to notice the unknown number or common giveaways in those moments, especially as a young child. Protecting your loved ones from this is difficult, as situations can be so dire. Finding ways to monitor kids’ internet use is essential. Finding ways to keep your kids safe is a large task, but remember, there are tools readily available, as you are not the only one going through this.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Creating a system of security and trust with your children:

To ensure that your kids feel comfortable and you feel secure, there are a couple of essential steps to take. Maintaining a safe balance between your children's privacy and safety starts with a few critical steps.

Encourage Discussion
Allowing your kids and teens to talk openly about what they are doing is extremely important. Approaching them aggressively may push them away and make them worried about punishment when they come out with the truth. This open communication is a great way to identify and discuss potential risk factors that may be entering your children’s lives.

Discuss Boundaries with Social Media
One of the most addictive parts of digital use is posting and scrolling on social media. Talking about how you feel and what you are comfortable with, while also listening to what your children and teens want, is one of the first steps toward ensuring their safety. If your kid feels they can talk openly about what they want, chances are they are willing to talk about what is happening, and you can recognize risks far more quickly.

Help Children Understand
Editing and AI are both helpful in a multitude of ways—but they also come with some risks. The internet is riddled with edited videos and photos that compellingly alter reality. The best way to prevent harm from children’s exposure to this is to preemptively speak with them about what is real and what is fake.

What to look out for:

If a potential situation arises, there are definitely things to look out for. If your child becomes more secretive, it may indicate that an inappropriate situation is affecting their life. Noticing small changes in stress levels or eating habits is another way to catch on early to any form of bullying, as these are often telltale signs of what is truly happening. Dropping grades is another sign that something is going wrong. The best way to truly understand whether something is harming your child is to observe their habits and notice if something is off.