1.Technology

2.Newborns

So, you might not be surprised to hear that a new tool for evaluating jaundice using a smartphone definitely activated my nerd alert.

Jaundice is a high level of bilirubin in the blood. Yellow skin is a reliable sign, but diagnosis is made with a blood test to measure the bilirubin level.

BiliCam is a smartphone enabled app which helps to measure a baby’s level of jaundice (bilirubin) by taking a picture alongside a calibration card which is then uploaded and analyzed.

The good news is that those measurements were found to be close to those drawn from the blood and, most importantly, were accurate in measuring infants with bilirubin levels over 17 (which is near the level at which treatment would be necessary). Currently, children who are on the border requiring phototherapy might require frequent visits to the doctor for blood draws to assess their jaundice levels. A non-painful option that could be done by the parent at home would be amazing.

BiliCam is just one of a number of rapidly expanding uses of technology in parenting a newborn. Starting with BiliCam, here are 4 technological advances in newborn care and my review:

1.BiliCam

I love the idea and I really think it could be useful. But I found a couple of problems right now. I can’t figure out how to implement it in practice. As far as I can tell, it's not commercially available at this time. Another problem is that it requires parents to have a card. I suppose I could keep them at my office for those babies who I’m sending home that I know will need a screen but, otherwise, if they need to be screened, they’ll have to come and pick up a card (which kind of defeats the purpose).

Overall Rating: B-

2.Respiratory and other vital sign enabled-monitors

We’ve written about these before, but I feel like a new one comes out every month. Every time I publish this story, there are people who comment about how much they loved theirs. But there are also people who echo my concern that they caused tremendous anxiety. Because of this and because there is no proof that they prevent bad things from happening to your child…

Overall Rating: C-

3.Baby tracking apps

Do we really need to know every time your baby poops, pees or feeds? Probably not. But I have found them to be helpful when babies are having trouble gaining weight. I’ve also seen parents use them to help their baby find a more predictable feeding schedule. With very little risk and the benefit of giving my accountant parents something to do…

Overall Rating: B+

4.Your smartphone camera

While you may not find this particularly groundbreaking, I have found it to be one of the best technologies for newborns. Whether it’s taking a picture to track head shape changes or birthmarks or if it’s for connecting with me for a live telemedicine visit that allows parents to stay home with their newborn, a lot of information can be gathered based on the quality of photos that can be taken.

Overall Rating: A

What are some other technologies you used during the newborn period? What other technology would you like to hear more about in the near future?

The affidavit included in one of the tweet's details an adult here in North Texas engaged in inapproapriate behavior with a 15-year old child in New Jersey.

It reads: “The victim stated he was playing Minecraft on his computer…and was contacted by a person wanting to chat.”

According to the affidavit, the conversation between the victim and the adult then moved to Skype which led to grooming, sexual messaging and even sexually explicit photos and videos being exchanged.

This is so awful I hate to even post it. But, it is so important to know what kind of predators are out there and what they are doing to connect with your kids.

Predators know what is cool. They know more than you do about what your kids are into.

They know how to reach kids and they will use whatever means necessary to connect with them.

Any app or game with a chat function that is connected to the Internet is a portal for exposure to terrible people with terrible ideas. Be aware and monitor! Turn off the chat function or have your child play in offline mode where able.

Of course, there’s more to evaluating an app or game than just the risk of exposure. Here are some general guidelines for evaluating both for your child.

About the author

Justin Smith is a pediatrician and the Medical Advisor for Digital Health for Cook Children's in Fort Worth, Texas. He has an active community on both Facebook and Twitter as @TheDocSmitty and writes weekly for Cook Children's checkupnewsroom.com. His interest in communications started when he realized that his parents were relying more on the internet for medical information. He believes that strategic use of social media and technology by pediatricians to connect with families can deepen their relationship and provide a new level of convenience for both of their busy lifestyles. Dr. Smith’s innovative pediatric clinic, a pediatric clinic “designed by you,” is set to open in Trophy Club in 2017.

Over the past several years, I have been actively speaking to parents, children, tweens, teens, and young adults regarding the dangers of the Internet and social media. I discovered rather quickly that I could not prepare a single set of presentations to use over and over again. Rather, I need to conduct new and fresh research for every single presentation I do, regardless of how much time has passed from one to the next.

Why? Because that is how fast things change in the world of technology and online interactions.

I am not going to go on a long rant about immorality or express my true feelings about the class of a person it takes to create certain apps for monetary gain, all the while knowing full well that children can and will fall victim while using those apps; instead, I am going to stick with the matter at hand.

Parents, you need to be aware that truly dangerous apps exist and are readily available to your children. And, if you are reading this as a young person or young adult who thinks I am being condescending, tough. In order to write an article such as this that is intended to reach the parents of potential victims, I have to be general in my assumptions and sweeping in my aim. I would rather offend you than not get the message out to someone that could prevent a devastating, life altering event for a child.

In my presentations to parents, I list a handful of apps; however, you have to understand that there are literally millions of apps available and, even those apps where the intended purpose by the app’s creator may be innocent, can be used dangerously. The reverse is also applicable; however, with the apps I am about to showcase, it is unlikely that they would be used in a benign way. With that, let’s talk about them:

1. SeekingArrangement.com - Brandon Wade is the founder of this site and supporting apps are available on GooglePlay for Android devices as well as iTunes for all iOS devices. SeekingArrangement identifies itself as a “sugar daddy dating app”. While discussing SeekingArrangement, it is also important to note that Brandon Wade also created an app called CarrotDating. CarrotDating (no longer available at the time this article was written) was an app that was borderline prostitution in the same way backpage.com ads are also “borderline” prostitution. The “borderline” is fairly evident. Although CarrotDating has been nixed, the philosophy behind the trend is still evident… bribes for dates. Of course, “dates” can be defined in ways other than going out to dinner and a movie.

2. Yik Yak – This App is one of the most dangerous. It allows users to post text-only “Yaks,” or messages, of up to 200 characters. The messages have no filter and can be viewed by the 500 Yakkers who are closest to the person who wrote the Yak, as determined by GPS tracking. Users are exposed to – and contributing to – sexually explicit content, abusive language, and personal attacks so severe that schools are starting to block the App on their Wi-Fi. Although the posts are anonymous, kids start revealing personal information as they get more comfortable with other users. This app is a rumor machine and a perfect channel for the kinds of bullies who hide behind a screen, hurting other people behind a shield of anonymity.

3. Ask.fm – This app allows users to ask a specific person anonymous questions. Users can answer these questions and posts them to their personal page, truly leaving nothing to the imagination. This is especially dangerous because it allows any user to target a specific person anonymously. Bullies, predators, and more can send anonymous messages to a specific person, asking them inappropriate things or even simply making hurtful statements.

4. Kik Messenger – This is a private messenger app and is coveted by those under 18 for a number of reasons. The App allows kids to send private messages that their parents can’t see. This app also allows users to identify themselves by a made up username, posing the dangers of anonymity. To make matters even scarier, third party websites allow users to search for people based on things like age and gender. There is very little you can do to verify the identity of someone on Kik, which obviously poses the risk of sexual predators chatting with your child. And again, this is an easy tool for sexting. Just last month, a 13 year old girl was murdered by a man she presumably met on Kik Messenger. 

5. Omegle – This App has been around since 2008, with video chat added in 2009. When you use Omegle you do not identify yourself through the service – chat participants are only identified as “You” and “Stranger;” the app’s slogan is “Talk to Strangers!” You don't have to register for the App. However, you can connect Omegle to your Facebook account to find chat partners with similar interests. When choosing this feature, an Omegle Facebook App will receive your Facebook “likes” and try to match you with a stranger with similar likes. This is not okay for children. This app is the perfect channel for sexual predators. Experts say these predators blackmail young children, by starting inappropriate conversations with them, then threatening to send the messages, photos, or videos to their parents if they tell anybody, therefore trapping the child in a disgusting, dangerous situation. 

6. Whisper – This is a meeting App that encourages users to post secrets. You post anonymously, but it displays the area you are posting from. You can search for users posting within a mile from you. You are also able to communicate with users who post secrets. A quick look at the App and you can see that online relationships are forming constantly on this App, but you never know the person behind the computer or phone. One man in Washington was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl he met on this App just last year. 

7. After School – This app is a message board that students can join by scanning their school I.D. or Facebook profile. While the scanning feature provides some security from outside users, once in the app, the user is anonymous. However, this app effortlessly creates drama and conflict among users because they all attend the same school. Students are able to freely post about anything. This year, a single school had problems with posts that included topless photos, alarmingly vulgar posts from males talking about fellow female students, and more. There is even a section where students can scan their driver’s license and enter a discussion only for students ages 17 and up, openly creating an environment for the discussion of more explicit material.

As with my presentations, articles such as this are a moving target as things get more troublesome by the minute. The biggest problem is that these apps make money. Because of this, more apps get developed that push the envelope of morality and safety. Look, if the developers could ensure the apps would only be used between consenting adults, I wouldn’t have a problem with all of this; however, the only way to ensure that to any reasonable level is to pretty much kill the app’s revenue streams. Because of this, we must remain diligent and be ever on the lookout for the next worst thing that could fall into the hands of our children. These apps make criminals out of cowards.

Please note: You can turn location services, or GPS, off on cell phones by going in to the device settings. This will keep the Apps and photos from posting the exact location or whereabouts of the phone user.

About the author

Jody S. Hawkins, Information Systems Security Officer, has been in technology for medical facilities since early 2000 and has been practicing for more than 20 years with his start in the United States Air Force. He is a part of Cook Children's Experts on Call Speakers Bureau. Hawkins specializes in privacy and technology safety and is a regular speaker at the National HIT/HIPAA Conference. He has been quoted and published in several national publications, including Health Information Management Magazine.

Hawkins' can speak on a variety of security topics facing our children & parents today, including:

• Social media
• Cyber bullying
• Sexting
• Safety online (Parents & Child)
• General home networking security
• Virtual Child (Parents)
• Internet Safety (Parents & Child)

Games and apps that are locally loaded and need no connectivity to the Internet to work are not categorized as "dangerous" as long as the content is appropriate for the age level of the child. However, most "free" apps require some level of connectivity for ad delivery. These ads are often unregulated or under-regulated and could contain links to material that is inappropriate for young children.

2. Social Interaction

Xbox, Playstation, and Wii (to name the popular consoles) all have the ability to connect a player with other, anonymous users. There are also games and other apps on Andriod, iOS devices, and PC that also allow social interaction with the gaming community. Kids can be subjected to ridicule, bullying, and age inappropriate conversations. Of course, sites and apps designed specifically for social interaction can be a worry if the content is not filtered and users can remain anonymous.

3. Information Sharing

A good deal of social media sites and apps give out a plethora of information about the user. This data can range from age to birth date and general regional area to specific city or even the exact address. A lot of times the information given is based on the users input and privacy settings; however, sometimes it can be unknown to the user. Take GPS location services as an example. If the young user may not be aware the app is pinpointing their current location to within 30 feet. Or, if they do, they may not realize the dangers associated with this type of situation.

4. False Accounts and Anonymity

Most social media sites and apps - even the most well known - allow for fake accounts to be created. Beyond fake accounts, a lot of apps out there promote anonymity among the users. Apps like "Omegle" and "Chat with Strangers" were built around the premise of anonymity. The problem comes when the child is encouraged to give out their personal information during a chat session. Children can be gullible and may more readily fall for scams being perpetrated by an adult. Even seemingly useless information can be used to create a bigger picture.

5. Lack of Filtering

Some sites and apps are policed for inappropriate content while others are not. However, even on sites that are supposed to be policed and filtered for inappropriate content, some things still get through. Take YouTube as an example. It is very difficult to police millions of videos and code that can successfully filter videos by content are not very useful (i.e. skin tone recognition) and produce too many false positive alerts. Because of this, YouTube relies on the community of users to police the content and alert YouTube if inappropriate material is found. Does this work? Not well. When's the last time you spent hours looking at random videos for inappropriate content? Beyond YouTube, sites and apps usually filter content based on age restrictions. My kids use age appropriate sites for educational entertainment that does filter content. If you attempt to type foul language, the words will be replaced with asterisks. You will also be warned and, if the behavior continues, your account will be terminated. The big problem comes when children lie about their age and sign up for apps designed to be used by adults. In those cases, there are not content filters.

6. Intent of the App

Any app can be used in a benign or harmful way; however, many apps out there are specifically intended to be used for meeting up with people to either date or downright have a sexual encounter. Regardless of what my child may tell me regarding their use of an app specifically designed to facilitate a sexual encounter with an adult, I would never allow continued use of the app. The bottom line is apps intended to be used by consenting adults should not be used by anyone under age - period. Even if the child's intention is to use such an app outside of the apps expected use, other users on the app will not know this. Things can go horribly awry.

7. Maturity level

Continuing with the intent of the app and the age and maturity of the user, children may be signing up on these sites out of curiosity or the lure of monetary gain. Sites and apps designed to be "Sugar Daddy" dating apps can be alluring. "Meet a millionaire" who will bestow expensive gifts upon you! These sites are very dangerous. The judgment of a child is not mature ... because they are still a child. Reactionary decisions can lead to catastrophic results. A young girl may be upset because her parents refused to upgrade her iPhone to the latest version and her friend tells her about some "sugar daddy" dating app where she can meet a man that will buy her whatever she wants. Immaturity can be a hindrance to thinking things through and recognizing the potential dangers.

We all know about Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. All three are great resources to stay updated with people and news. But even those old favorites come with concerns if your child posts something inappropriate that can be damaging to their reputation and may have forever consequences.

But what about the latest apps?

Jody Hawkins, Information Security Officer at Cook Children’s, gives his thoughts on the benefits and dangers of today’s social media, depending on the way it’s used. Below is a list of social media platforms and apps with brief explanations of what to look out for as a parent. We begin with looking at the latest app that could pose danger to your kids – Periscope.

Periscope – Hawkins calls this “possibly the next worst app for Kids.” Periscope is a new iPhone app that allows users to share real time videos on Twitter. Currently it is only available on iPhone; but Hawkins expects that to change soon. The problems are quickly rising for parents and kids.

Twitter has pushed Periscope into production to get ahead of the competition in hot pursuit. A lot of work has been done in regards to privacy, safety and keeping offensive language off the comments. By default, Periscope uses your GPS location and allows any users on Twitter to know your location while shooting video.

“Think about that, parents. Your child posts a video and every creeper in the world can suddenly see where he or she lives,” Hawkins said. “When Periscope first launched, the locator would allow others to ‘zoom in’ on the location and see an actual intersection. That feature has since been disabled; however, the location given is still in the neighborhood of where the user is located.”

Pros: Twitter is a fun and interesting app when used appropriately. The live-streaming app makes it easy for users to track broadcasts from friends, as well as streams of people from around the world. Users can watch live and recorded broadcasts and make a friend’s list and look at a global tab. You can block spam and it’s easier now to block any annoying comments.

Cons: Currently, Periscope allows anybody to say anything which could include cyber-bullying and inappropriate comments. Online, anonymity encourages juvenile behavior and brings out the worst in some people. Even if a child turns off the GPS location device, a predator familiar with the area where the child is walking will know how to locate him or her.

Hawkins says: “Through trial and error, I am sure Periscope will improve in regards to monitoring posts and better protecting user’s privacy. However, even with improvement, this app is not for kids. For now, it is what it is – another concern for parents.”

Social media apps are geared toward young adults and adults. The app creators and companies like Google, Twitter, Facebook, etc. are catering to the broadest audience possible. Too many limitations on apps like Periscope and they lose their adult users. That means it’s up to parents to monitor their children’s usage of such apps. The permanence of things posted to the Internet can be a danger for anyone; however, it is especially dangerous when in the hands of a child who hasn’t developed a more mature sense of reasoning.

As if you didn’t have enough to worry about as a parent these days, here are eight apps to be aware of that your kids may be using:

1. Hot or Not – This app allows you to upload pictures of yourself while other people in your area vote on whether you are “hot” or not. You can vote on others in your area as well.

Pros: There are no benefits for children to use this app.

Cons: If someone scores badly, this can damage a teenager’s self-esteem. Chat is available and connections can be made with strangers.

Hawkins says: He describes this app as a “game of sorts” for kids, but it can be a risky one. In an attempt to receive a higher score, users often resort to posting risqué pictures.

2. Badoo – This social/dating app promotes the idea of meeting new people, sharing interests and even dating. It’s a way to make connections with people who share similar characteristics and you can search for people nearby. Users have to pay monthly.

Pros: If you are an adult, it’s an outlet to socialize with others who share the same interests as you.

Cons: It allows you to find people nearby to chat with and leads to meeting strangers. Badoo uses GPS technology, making it easy for predators to find your child.

Hawkins says: He would not recommend this app for the under 18 aged crowd due to the risks.

3. Palringo & 4. Tango – Both of these social messaging apps allow users to meet people from all over the globe. Palringo is a group chat app that lets you create social groups based on mutual interests and allows you to send messages to the entire group or chat one-on-one. Discussions can range from topics about sports to adult content. Tango lets you talk, text, call and video chat with friends or strangers all over the world for free.

Pros: People can find like-minded friends from all over the world. Think an international, accessible pen pal.

• Palringo can lead to discussing about inappropriate topics and predators may use these apps to meet children

Hawkins says: Both apps are good for meeting people you would never otherwise meet and finding people who can talk about your interest. Younger children shouldn’t be involved and even teens who participate should only do so in groups appropriate for their age group and with careful adult supervision.

5. Tinder – This dating app allows users to connect with new and interesting people around you. This app lets people see images of other users— you swipe right to like the picture or swipe left to pass. If someone likes you back, then it’s a match. After the match is created, you have the option to chat with the individual by phone.

Pros: There are no benefits for children to use this app.

Cons: This promotes meeting other like-minded adults and bases a “match” from physical looks.

Hawkins says: “I see this as more of a dating app for people aged 18 and older and I would not recommend it for younger teens.”

6. Grindr – This social media app is aimed toward gay, bisexual and bi-curious men. This app uses your mobile’s location-based services to show you Grindr guys close in your area.

Pros: Provides an outlet for an adult male to be comfortable with his sexuality and connect with others. But the key word in the previous sentence is “adult.”

• Can lead to kids meeting with adults and all the dangers involved. This is not Ok for kids. In fact, it’s very dangerous.

Hawkins says: “If your son has this app, I suppose the closet door is open” and parents may take this opportunity to talk sexuality and risks with their children. As with all dating apps, Hawkins would not suggest this for people under 18 years old due to the likelihood of meeting up with adults.

7. Chat Roulette – This is an online chat website that pairs random people together to video chat. Every time you begin a new chat, you never know who you are going to come face-to-face with.

Pros: There are no benefits for children to use this app.

Cons: The user can encounter people eliciting inappropriate acts. You never know what will pop up on the screen.

Hawkins says: The first thing listed on the app’s download page says it all – “Warning! For adults only!” Hawkins encourages parents to be aware of what their children are viewing online and really take part in their lives, including what they are doing online. This social outlet is not recommended for the under 18 year old age group.

8. Fake-a-Text -This app allows the user to set who the text is to look like it’s from, what the text will say, and when it will be sent.

Pros: Children can impress their friends and look cool by looking like a celebrity texts them.

Cons: This can hurt reputations and upset friends by tricking them. This app also encourages lying.

Hawkins says: “This is a teen’s dream if they want to fool their friends,” Hawkins says. This “evil little app of deception” can hurt the reputation of a real person. For example: a teenage boy can convince his friends that a real girl sent a sexual text, even though she didn’t, and this can harm her reputation.

Social media has its benefits, but those benefits can come with drawbacks. Tell your child to be cautious about the information he/she is putting out there in the online world. You also might want to have the “stranger danger” talk again with a reminder to be careful about the people he/she is chatting with online. Finding the right balance with what you share online and what you keep private is key in the social media domain. Give them a certain time frame to log-in and make sure it’s on a computer that you can view.

- Article written by Amanda Burmeister

About the source

Jody S. Hawkins, Information Systems Security Officer, has been in technology for medical facilities since early 2000 and has been practicing for more than 20 years with his start in the United States Air Force. He is a part of Cook Children's Experts on Call Speakers Bureau. Hawkins specializes in privacy and technology safety and is a regular speaker at the National HIT/HIPAA Conference. He has been quoted and published in several national publications, including Health Information Management Magazine.

Hawkins' can speak on a variety of security topics facing our children & parents today, including:

• Social media
• Cyber bullying
• Sexting
• Safety online (Parents & Child)
• General home networking security
• Virtual Child (Parents)
• Internet Safety (Parents & Child)

We know that play is a crucial part of children’s early development. It helps children build connections, learn, and remember. Some of the key qualities we look for in play include are they: engaging, interactive, enriching, and fun! It encourages creativity and problem solving, and the highest levels of preschoolers’ play are imaginative and story-based. So let’s explore how we can ensure these qualities apply to play when it involves a screen:

1.Open-ended – Look for Apps that are open-ended and allow for tinkering and experimenting. Kids can develop critical thinking skills by making guesses, trying it out, and then trying again in a different way.

2.People and places – Look for Apps that have characters and common places. These features allow children to “play a story” by creating characters and talking about what they do and go through. This can also be an outlet for children to role-play something they’ve gone through themselves, like a trip to the dentist or winning a soccer game.

3.Play partner – Some developers have created Apps that act as a third party in the child’s play. For example a birthday party App includes the table set-up and party favors on the screen. To play, children simply place their tablet between them and pass out their virtual plates and cupcakes. Conversations and interactions can happen just as they would with real toys.

4.Cooperate and communicate – Choose Apps that are easy to interact with and talk about, rather than those that involve passively watching, clicking, or swiping. For example, Apps in which you build, decorate, or create are great for taking turns and talking about what you’re making. Other apps let you create videos or simple animations to show others.

5.Simply visual – By their nature, Apps are colorful and visual. But also consider choosing Apps for their simplicity. Visual distractors like ads, pop-up boxes for in-app purchases, and constantly changing screens can make it hard for the brain to get into a focused mode for learning.

Regardless of the Apps you choose, many times the most critical element of playing with technology is the other people we play with. Watch as your kids play, but take your turn too! Talk to them about what you notice, ask questions about how they made it work, or show them something they may not have thought of previously.

Mr. Rogers once said, “Play is really the work of childhood.” In order for children to continue the work of learning and growing they need to be able to play, even if a screen is included. The key is to join in and play with them!

• Read more on the AAP’s recommendations for screen time
• Find Apps reviewed by educators
• Browse the best free Apps for preschoolers

I love to watch them play and have fun, but I’m not watching them every single second. I’m usually reading something on my laptop and I glance up here and there to see what they’re up to. More often than not, they’re pausing to get the rules straight before they conquer that which would destroy us all. However, I have found myself jumping from my seat and running to the back patio door to tell them to stop! Why? Because I notice them doing something with their sticks that has a high potential to hurt one or both of them.

In and of itself a stick is not dangerous. A stick is a stick. You can poke in the mud with it, you can use it to imagine slaying dragons, or you could run with it out in front of you (the tip only inches above the ground, bobbing with every stride) and potentially impale yourself with said stick. Or, you could witness your 4-year-old swinging his stick wildly as the 8 year old, backing up to prevent being struck, stumbles over a toy wheelbarrow while the 4-year-old continues his assault. That’s what got my attention.

So, let’s talk about sticks … I mean apps. It’s the same conversation. Sticks come in all shapes and sizes. Some may be too big for my 4-year-old to handle; however, being a bit older, my 8-year-old may not have a problem with a slightly larger stick. Comparing this to apps on the tablets, my 4-year old does not understand some of the games my 8-year-old might play; but, he loves Reading Eggs®! But, since my 8-year-old is reading chapter books, Reading Eggs® (which helped him at one time) is now a “boring baby game.” For one, the stick is too small. For the other, the stick is just right.

As they grow older, they will want to delve into apps that challenge their maturity level and hold their attention. In the tween years, they will become more and more enthralled with social apps. On into the teen years, connecting with friends will more than likely become far more important than playing Cut the Rope® or Where’s My Water?®. It’s during these transitional periods that we’ll want to glance up from the kitchen table to take a quick peek into the virtual backyard. Knowing how to do this is half the battle.

Any app – even ones designed specifically for the facilitation of risky behavior – can be used in a way that is benign. All children are different and most are going to push the boundaries at some point or another. It’s our job as parents to guide them. In order to guide them, we need to be able to “glance up” to see what they are doing. Are they using social media apps? Are they playing games? What apps do they have loaded on the device? Are they chatting with strangers? What information are they giving out? I could keep adding questions. First, let’s talk about the most dangerous app of all.

Depending on their temperament, maturity level, risk taking, decision making skills, and overall attitude, the most dangerous app could be between your child’s ears. On the flip-side, it could also be the best security app available. Apps are not dangerous. Impaling yourself with apps is dangerous. Teaching your child good decision making skills and helping them to keep their compass as north as possible is the number one best way to prevent harm, period. In order to do that, you have to be able to “glance up” to ensure the compass needle is not falling.

There are two ways to secure a mobile device. One way is preventative security. Net Nanny® is a great app for enforcing parental controls for younger children. It prevents the errant Youtube video from introducing your child to inappropriate content as they follow the rabbit hole after searching for Spiderman. As they get older (and a bit wiser), preventative security measures lose their potency and can lead to a false sense of security for the parent. That’s why I recommend monitoring software.

There are several monitoring software packages available and, as with apps in the app stores, they are a moving target. iSpyoo® for iOS and Android (and other mobile phones) has received an “outstanding” editor’s rating on CNET.com. The review (which can be found on the CNET.com site and a search for iSpyoo) is for Android specifically; however, iSpyoo’s website boasts that “iSpyoo works on all mobile phones and networks from around the world.” Whichever monitoring software you choose, ensure it (1) cannot be detected by your child and (2) can send periodic alerts to your email address. A quick scan of the activity could either set your mind at ease or raise red flags. However, in order for this to work, you must maintain ownership of the device.

As a security professional with over 20 years of experience, I am 100 percent against giving smartphones, tablets, and other devices as gifts unless the rules are laid out appropriately. My rule is that, until you are on your own, you are borrowing MY device. I am the administrator and you are my child. That phone is on MY data plan and, while I did name it as your phone on the carrier’s website, I still pay the bills and I can cancel at any time. If you lay these rules out from the beginning, you could potentially run into far fewer problems down the road.

The bottom line is, yes, there are apps on the markets that give us concern. Some apps can be used for setting up a rendezvous with a stranger in a dark alley. If I were to tell you about specific apps today, I would miss the ones that will be coming out next week, month, or year. In all of my research and expertise, I still have not figured out how to definitively foretell the future. I can predict with a high degree of certainty, however, that there will be more apps coming. Keeping track of what your child does on their phones, tablets or computers will always be the best way to protect them. Just remember to bring your own stick to the game.

About the author

Jody S. Hawkins, Information Systems Security Officer, has been in technology for medical facilities since early 2000 and has been practicing for more than 20 years with his start in the United States Air Force. He is a part of Cook Children's Experts on Call Speakers Bureau. Hawkins specializes in privacy and technology safety and is a regular speaker at the National HIT/HIPAA Conference. He has been quoted and published in several national publications, including Health Information Management Magazine.

Hawkins' can speak on a variety of security topics facing our children & parents today, including:

• Social media
• Cyber bullying
• Sexting
• Safety online (Parents & Child)
• General home networking security
• Virtual Child (Parents)
• Internet Safety (Parents & Child)

Maybe, that’s the case, but how do you keep your child safe? Before you purchase a phone for your child, we asked Jody Hawkins, Information Systems Security Officer for Cook Children’s Health Care System in Fort Worth, Texas, for a few tips on children owning (or not) a cell phone.

Q: Should I give a cell phone to my child as a gift?

A: Jody advises against cell phones as gifts. He believes parents can establish better boundaries if the phone is presented to the child as belonging to the parent. The parent sets the rules, monitors and guides the child on how to safely use it. A good way of monitoring what apps are installed is to not allow the child to have the password. If the child wants a new app, the parent must enter the password.

Q: Is everything my child posts on the Internet permanent?

A: Yes, for the most part. Some apps and sites have security settings that can be set to “private;” however, these take constant monitoring. Regardless of the site or the settings, if someone can share the post, it becomes very permanent. Once a post is shared, you lose control over the content. Potentially everything your child posts online can be seen now and years to come by people like college recruiters and potential employers.

Q: How can I limit who my child texts?

A: Most of the larger carriers allow you to limit data, text, and calling per individual phone on the account. Parents can contact their cell phone service provider or go to their online account to see what controls are offered.

If you have more questions about cell phones and keeping kids safe, please let us know.