Los Angeles recently became the first major school district to restrict students’ use of laptops and tablets in the classroom. Around the same time, we requested an amendment to our child’s IEP requiring they be allowed to use a computer as an alternative to handwritten assignments due to their particular learning needs. This juxtaposition made me wonder just how often my kids use devices in school, if it’s too much, and how to balance that against their screen time at home.
Here’s what to think about as you weigh this issue for your family.
The actual amount of screen time at school will vary wildly between districts, classrooms, and kids. You likely won't get a hard number unless the school has a firm policy, but here’s where to start:
They're not always reliable reporters, especially the younger set, but asking these questions can give you a general idea:
Most districts have a published tech policy. They usually restrict personal device use but rarely specify how often screens are used for instruction. Nevertheless, check before approaching the school directly.
Districts often allow flexibility within individual schools, so it may help to contact the principal directly. Remember that they’re your partner in your child’s education; keep your inquiry respectful and assume best intent.
Did you know? Thousands of parents use BrightCanary to keep their kids safe online, monitor what they do on their screens, and teach healthy device habits.
Like most things in parenting, it depends. Here are the factors to consider:
If you’re not happy with how much time your child spends on screens at school, here’s how to advocate for change:
As you wade through this thorny issue, keep these nuances in mind:
As I mentioned, my child needs access to a device in order for their education to be fully accessible. So, even as I advocate for fewer screens as part of classroom instruction, I will go to the mat to ensure this right is upheld.
Similarly, consider your child’s unique situation. Even if they don’t have an accessibility need, perhaps they have a special hobby that requires a screen, or their favorite class is computer programming. Situations like this may mean your child is on a screen more than some children, and that’s okay.
Experts widely concede that passive screen time, while not without value, should be more limited than interactive screen activities and ones where children are actively building or creating something. Yes, that includes some video games. They’re not the boogeyman you’ve probably been led to believe.
Kids are on screens at school more than ever, making it challenging to balance screen time at home. Find out how much your kids actually use devices at school, then help them manage their at-home screen time based on their age, temperament, and family values.
Remember that every child’s needs are different and that passive scrolling should be more restrained than active, creative screen tasks. If you’re unhappy with how screen time is handled at your child’s school, advocate for change at the district level. And when they are using their devices, keep tabs with BrightCanary child monitoring.
Do you lie awake at night worrying about your kids? (I know I’m not the only one.) Today’s world looks so different from the one we grew up in that it can be hard to wrap our heads around how to keep our kids safe. Here are four things you need to know to be a responsible, modern parent.
It’s easy to feel like you have to keep up with all the current slang, the latest safety risks, and the newest apps just to be a responsible parent. (And now we’re supposed to become AI experts, too?!) The pressure is enough to send conscientious caregivers into an anxiety spiral.
Here’s the thing, though: you’ll never know everything. There will always be something new that catches you by surprise. I write about this stuff for a living, and my husband works in technology, and even we struggle to keep up.
Instead of trying to become an internet safety expert, try this:
Free downloadable guide: What Parents Need to Know in the Digital Age
I’m not trying to scare you, but this is something many parents misunderstand. Statistically, our kids are far safer out in the world than we were growing up. At the same time, the internet introduces a whole host of risks we never faced.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t attend to your child’s safety outside of the house. (They should know not to take candy from strangers!) But kids also need to be coached about online stranger danger.
Just like you periodically peek out the window to make sure your kid isn’t setting fire to something, or text around if you can’t find them, you also need to keep an eye on them online. And just like in the real world, supervising your child is how they gain the skills and earn your trust to be awarded more freedom over time.
BrightCanary is an excellent tool for supervising your child online. The app monitors everything they type across all apps and websites and sends you real-time alerts so you can stay close without feeling like a helicopter parent.
Social media has created a breeding ground for child sexual predation. Reports of online child exploitation attempts have risen a whopping 192% in the span of one year, and the majority of girls have been contacted by a stranger on social media in a manner that makes them uncomfortable.
The statistics are sobering, but you have a lot of power to help your child stay safe:
They may be digital natives, but kids shouldn’t be set loose online without any guidance. Nor does it serve them to control their every digital action. A child who feels guided online, not just restricted, is more likely to come to you when something goes wrong. When your child is younger, you should play a more active role in monitoring them. As they mature and prove themselves, gradually give them more freedom.
If your child is targeted online, here’s what to do, featuring tips from child safety expert Detective Rich Wistocki.
When choosing between child monitoring apps, there are three important things to consider: Is the monitoring comprehensive? Does it give me the insight I need to make the best decisions for my child? And does it support my child’s well-being? Using those parameters, we’ve rounded up the four best child monitoring apps for 2026.
| BrightCanary | Apple Screen Time | Aura Parents | Bark | |
| Platform | iOS | iOS | iOS | iOS; Android |
| Monitoring type | Comprehensive | Screen time and content filtering | Limited: tone, themes, and usage volume only | Limited: specific apps only |
| AI-powered scanning | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Real-time alerts | Yes | No | Yes | Limited |
| Social media monitoring | Yes, all apps | No | Yes, with limited insight available | Limited: not all apps are covered |
| AI app monitoring | Yes | No | Limited | Limited: no iOS monitoring |
| Screen time controls | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Message monitoring | Yes | No | No | Only when connected to home Wi-Fi |
| App blocking | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Full transcripts available | Yes | Limited: iMessage only | No | No |
Bark's child monitoring app scans your child’s activity on the most popular apps and social media platforms. It also includes other monitoring features, like location tracking and blocking. On iOS devices, Bark monitors a limited number of apps and platforms and doesn’t monitor any AI apps. Monitoring is restricted when your child isn’t connected to home Wi-Fi. The app sends real-time alerts, but without full transcripts, you have to take Bark's word for it.
Aura is an online safety platform that also offers a parental control option, called Aura Parents. It looks at your child’s digital activity and provides snapshots based on when and how often they use various apps and the overall tone of their interactions.
While Aura gets points for working with a team of clinical psychologists to develop a matrix used for assigning your child a digital well-being score, it falls short when it comes to details. You can’t see full transcripts of your child’s interactions online, and there isn’t much transparency into the data points used to assign the well-being score. It hands decision-making to the app, rather than partnering with you.
iOS
Apple Screen Time is built into all iOS devices. You can use it to filter content, set limits on your child’s iPhone, and to track your child’s location. Lighter on monitoring, it's a great complement to traditional child monitoring apps.
BrightCanary’s child monitoring app harnesses advanced technology to remotely scan everything your child types across every website, app, and platform. You know your child best, so the control is left in your hands. BrightCanary partners with you, providing summaries, insight, and real-time alerts for peace of mind, with access to full transcripts so you have the information you need to make decisions for your child.
BrightCanary’s emotional insights also help you assess your child’s well-being. It’s the only child monitoring app recognized by the American Psychological Association (APA), an important signal of trust from one of the leading mental health organizations.
MMGuardian touts itself as the best parental monitoring tool for iPhones, but when I dug in, I found that MMGuardian’s iPhone monitoring features are largely hype. (The app offers more robust protection for Android devices.)
In contrast, BrightCanary’s digital monitoring features are designed specifically for iPhones. The app’s keyboard-level monitoring means it monitors your child’s online activity anytime, anywhere, without the headache and limitations that come with MMGuardian.
Let’s take a look.
| Feature | BrightCanary | MMGuardian |
| iMessage monitoring | Yes | Limited: device must be connected to home Wi-Fi; parent's computer must be on and awake; requires passcode for each session |
| SMS monitoring | Yes | Limited: device must be connected to home Wi-Fi; parent's computer must be on and awake; requires passcode for each session |
| Social media monitoring | Yes, anything your child types | Limited |
| Discord monitoring | Yes, anything your child types | No |
| Real-time alerts for concerning content | Yes, 24/7 across all platforms | Limited: device must be connected to home Wi-Fi; parent's computer must be on and awake; requires passcode for each session |
| AI app monitoring (ChatGPT, Character.ai, etc.) | Yes: anything your child types | No |
| Emotional well-being insights | Yes | No |
| App blocking and limits | No, feature included for free from Apple | Yes |
| GPS tracking | No, feature included for free from Apple | Yes |
| Content restrictions | No, feature included for free from Apple | Yes |
BrightCanary’s secure on-device keyboard uses customized AI to monitor everything your child types across all apps.
Plus, you can try BrightCanary today with a seven-day free trial.
MMGuardian’s monitoring functions are extremely limited on iPhones and require a complicated setup. For the monitoring features to work, your child’s device must be connected to home Wi-Fi, your computer must be on and awake, and a passcode must be re-entered on your child’s device for each new monitoring session.
The following features do work well on iPhones (although they are all offered for free from Apple):
Choose BrightCanary if you want to:
Choose MMGuardian if you want to:
MMGuardian excels at GPS tracking, content restrictions, and screen time controls. However, all these features come standard, for free, with all Apple devices, making it hard to understand what additional value MMGuardian provides on iOS.
BrightCanary stands out for its robust monitoring across all apps, websites, and platforms, as well as its real-time alerts about concerning content. BrightCanary perfectly complements the native tracking, content restriction, and screen time features already included on your child’s iPhone.
I found MMGuardian’s claim that it’s the best monitoring app for iPhones disingenuous at best. Additionally, MMGuardian only monitors limited social media platforms, excluding the ones kids use the most, such as Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok. They do boast that they monitor Tinder, which compels me to offer a quick PSA: if your underage child is on Tinder, monitoring them is not the answer. Children should not be on Tinder.
Because BrightCanarys uses a secure, on-device keyboard, it monitors your child across all websites, apps, and platforms they use. Monitoring and real-time alerts work 24/7, no matter where your child is, and regardless of what’s happening with your computer.
Download BrightCanary today and start your free trial.
Raise your hand if your kiddo is super into video games. I know I’m not the only one! Video games are no longer seen as drivers of aggression, and they may even be associated with better cognitive performance in children. We’re here to talk about a feature many gaming platforms have: a chat feature.
A lot of preteen boys I know flock to Roblox specifically for the chat. In-game chat can be a source of positive socialization and a way to develop teamwork, but it also introduces some big concerns. Let’s take a look at those risks and explore how to make in-game chat safer for your child.
There are a variety of in-game chat options. Specifically:
At least one version of messaging is available on most major gaming platforms. In the majority of popular multiplayer games, like Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite, chat is enabled by default.
There are two levels of in-game chats:
These are the primary risks of in-game chats that you need to be aware of:
Let me be clear: you aren’t obligated to let your child use in-game chat at all. I don’t let my 10-year-old use any in-game chat, except for with friends and family inside a closed server on Minecraft. If you decide to let your child use in-game chat (also a valid decision), here are some tips for helping them stay safe.
If your kiddo hasn’t started their gaming adventure yet, start with games that have trusted chat filters like Splatoon 3 and Among Us.
Before your child downloads a new game, research the game and the community surrounding it. (Pro tip: Common Sense Media is my go-to for vetting all types of media for my kids.)
Have a conversation about the behavior you expect from your child while on chat, and how they should expect others to treat them.
Your child should never share any personal information over in-game chat. Period. Make sure they know this.
Teach your child that if someone is harassing them, making them uncomfortable, or generally acting a fool, they shouldn’t be afraid to mute or block that user.
Set up parental controls on all gaming platforms that your child uses. For most games, there are a range of choices.
Every game is slightly different, but you can use this as a general guide:
Regardless of how restricted or open you set your child’s in-game chat, it’s important to monitor how they use it. Some platforms, like Nintendo Switch, allow for monitoring as part of their parental controls. For games like Roblox and Minecraft, which can be played on Apple devices, BrightCanary monitors everything your child types and sends you real-time alerts to any concerns.
In-game chat provides kids benefits like teamwork and social connection. It also introduces risks like cyberbullying, predators, and inappropriate content. To help your child use in-game chat safely, teach them chat etiquette, use all available parental controls, and monitor their activity with a tool like BrightCanary.
As X (formerly Twitter) descends further into dumpster-fire territory, Bluesky is emerging as a popular alternative. With Bluesky’s user base growing among younger users fleeing X, parents are starting to ask questions. This article explores if Bluesky is safe for kids and what you can do to keep your child safe on the platform.
Bluesky is a microblogging social media platform designed as an alternative to X. Instead of being controlled by a centralized, opaque social media algorithm, Bluesky feeds are customizable. Users can set multiple feeds based on a topic or interest or select from pre-curated options and then toggle between them.
If users don’t want to manually select accounts to follow, Bluesky offers “starter packs.” Your teen can choose algorithms or topics as their “home” timeline. For example:
Users can also create their own starter packs and share them with friends or post them to their other social apps.
Bluesky users must be at least 13+. Some countries and states have laws that require a higher minimum age, which Bluesky honors.
Bluesky’s age verification process varies by location. Here in Washington state, I was able to open an account for a fake 13-year-old simply by fabricating a birthdate.
I got an alert stating that, according to the laws of my country, my parent or legal guardian must read the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy on my behalf, but I was able to ignore that and still create an account.
In jurisdictions that have age verification laws, Bluesky uses Kids Web Services to verify age through a payment card authorization, government-issued ID scan, or facial age estimation.
Bluesky gets some safety points right, namely the extraordinary level of control users have over their feed and moderation experience.
These risks remain, though:
Professionally, I always advise that minors set their accounts to private, but Bluesky doesn’t provide that option. Personally, this is a sticking point for me as a parent. Public accounts expose your child to predators, scams, and harassment.
Because Bluesky’s moderation is decentralized and operated with a mix of AI, in-house human moderators, and user moderators, the quality is inconsistent at best.
Bluesky is open-source, and users can create and run their own servers on the Bluesky platform. They are then responsible for moderation (or lack thereof) for anything posted on their platform. Anyone, including your child, can access any user-run Bluesky server, but because it’s hosted on the main platform, they likely won’t even know it. This creates the perfect storm for a harbor of harmful content for your child to discover.
There have also been reports of racist interactions and violent threats, and concerns over the lack of moderator involvement in such incidents.
Underage users are prevented from turning on the “adult content” option, but because age verification is nonexistent in many jurisdictions, this means very little.
The risk of falling into an algorithmically driven echo chamber exists on all social media. Users’ ability to customize their content feeds and moderation policies magnifies that risk on Bluesky. Your child could easily get trapped in a toxic online bubble.
Bluesky doesn’t have parental controls. Many of the same elements can be adjusted in the settings, but it’s not password protected and can be changed by your child at any time.
If you choose to let your child use Bluesky, here are a few ways to reduce the risks when they use the platform:
Peruse the options together and choose a few that you get a good feeling about.
Go through your child’s content and moderation settings with them and adjust them according to your child’s maturity and needs. This guide gives an in-depth walkthrough, but I suggest paying particular attention to these two areas:
Keep an eye on how your child uses Bluesky, and watch for warning signs that they’re falling into toxic territory or interacting with strangers. BrightCanary monitors everything your child types across all platforms, including Bluesky, and sends you real-time alerts to any concerns.
Bluesky has meaningful safety gaps for kids such as public accounts, no parental controls, and inconsistent moderation. Users can customize their experience, which mitigates some risk, although kids can change the settings themselves. Bluesky should be approached with caution, and parental involvement and monitoring are a must if your child uses the platform.
Many parental control apps can’t monitor newer apps yet. BrightCanary’s keyboard-level monitoring allows for comprehensive monitoring across all apps, even Bluesky. Download today to get started.
If you’re like me and are skeptical of AI and find most influencers cringeworthy, buckle up. AI influencers are officially a thing, and these synthetic salespeople are flooding your kid’s feed, likely without them realizing it.
AI influencers present risks to kids beyond generic exposure to AI slop. They also perpetuate unrealistic beauty and lifestyle standards and encourage parasocial relationships with amoral robots. If it’s not already obvious, I am not a fan of AI influencers. Here’s what I want you to know so you can protect your child.
AI influencers are computer-generated characters designed to function like human influencers. The individuals, agencies, and brands behind AI influencers maintain a social media presence for the entity in order to promote products, brands, lifestyles, or ideas.
AI influencers range from cartoonish and easy to spot, like Lu do Magalu, to naturalistic and harder to identify, like Aitana Lopez. They market fashion, makeup, technology, and more, and have deals with brands like Prada, Puma, and Samsung.
Besides the general ick factor, AI influencers present real risks for kids. For example:
Human influencers are often criticized for creating unattainable standards. For AI influencers, who are almost universally young, fit, and conventionally attractive, that risk is magnified. When kids are persistently exposed to AI influencers, they may become preoccupied with their appearance and go to extreme lengths to emulate these artificial creators.
Unlike their mortal counterparts, AI influencers don’t have a moral compass and don’t risk the same real-life backlash. This lack of integrity and accountability means AI influencers may post content or interact with kids who follow them in harmful and manipulative ways.
Unless the person or brand behind an AI influencer is transparent, it’s impossible to know who’s behind the account. This murkiness makes it difficult to discern intentions. Your child could be following an AI influencer run by a nefarious person who intends them harm, wrapped up in a perfectly polished package.
Parasocial relationships are one-sided bonds that can develop when a person invests themselves in someone who doesn’t know they exist, like an influencer. Parasocial relationships are normal and potentially positive. But they can also lead to compulsions, delusions, and problems with real-world relationships.
Here are some clues to help you spot AI influencers:
The time has come to add AI influencers to your conversations about digital literacy with your child. Here’s how:
AI influencers push unrealistic standards, have no moral compass or accountability, and obscure who's really in charge. Protect your child by teaching them about the risks of AI influencers and how to spot them.
Learn more about how BrightCanary can help you monitor what your child sees on social media.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is frighteningly good at determining your child’s location from a photo, even when no location tags are used. And the risk is only going to get worse as AI systems get better. Here’s everything you need to know about how strangers can use AI to find your child and how to reduce the risk.
AI systems are shockingly adept at determining a photo’s location by quickly analyzing clues. Every model is slightly different, but here are some things an AI platform might use to determine location:
These bits of data are processed within seconds, and the more context a user provides to the AI system, such as narrowing it down to a specific region, the more accurate the results. In some cases, exact GPS coordinates can be identified.
I tested some systems myself and found a mixed bag. Claude and ChatGPT had the hardest time identifying the location of my photos, while Gemini and programs like Picarta, which are designed expressly for this purpose, were alarmingly accurate.
Strangers might feed photos of your child into AI to determine a variety of things, such as:
The brutal truth is that there isn’t a lot that can be done to protect against determined and nefarious actors gleaning information from your child’s photos. Here are some steps you can take to mitigate the risks:
The only truly foolproof method for protecting your child is to not post any pictures of them online and to prevent them from posting any photos, period. I fully realize this is an extreme most people aren’t willing to go to, though.
Not all AI platforms can read metadata, but the ones that can tend to be accurate down to exact coordinates because that info is usually embedded in the photo. Here’s an explainer of how to remove metadata. It’s a good idea to do this not only before you post online, but also when sending photos to other people.
Before posting, crop out or put a sticker over any details that might be used to identify a location. For example:
Kids aren’t generally known for their logical calculation of risk, so they’re likely to need some coaching in this area. Here’s how to talk to your child about photo privacy online:
AI can determine your child's location from photos by analyzing landmarks, architecture, metadata, and other visual clues. Sometimes, it can even pinpoint exact GPS coordinates. The safest option is to not post any photos of your child and to prevent them from posting pictures. Other efforts to reduce risk include removing metadata and cropping out or obscuring identifying details.
Talk to your child early about these risks, model thoughtful decision-making before sharing photos, and steer them toward private sharing options like close-friends groups or small text threads.
For added peace of mind, join the thousands of parents who trust BrightCanary child monitoring. The app will alert you if it flags anything concerning, and with robust text message monitoring, you’ll be able to see what photos they send to and receive from friends and peers.
Rather than strict guidelines for how much time kids should spend online, the American Psychological Association suggests prioritizing helping kids use social media in ways that promote healthy socialization. But what does that look like?
This article explores the social benefits of social media for kids, helps you assess if your child is using these platforms in positive ways, and provides tips for how to help build healthy social media habits for teens.
Prioritizing peers is a normal and necessary part of adolescent development, and social media use can be a healthy part of that picture. Here are a few ways that social media can benefit kids socially:
Despite the benefits, social media use also presents interpersonal risks. For example:
As you evaluate if your child is socializing online in healthy ways, here are some guiding questions:
Removing access to social media or setting rigid restrictions can feel punitive and may cut your child off from healthy social connections. Instead, use these tips to help them build healthy social media habits they can carry into adulthood:
Focus on teaching them natural boundaries based on context, instead of strict, externally-imposed limits. For example:
Parental involvement is key to promoting positive social media use.
Helping your child develop healthy social media habits today will help them navigate social media on their own later.
The ultimate goal is for your child to have a healthy balance between their online and offline lives. Encourage them to prioritize positive offline activities, and model healthy social media habits yourself.
Social media provides kids with social benefits like community, identity exploration, and a sense of shared purpose, especially for those who feel isolated or struggle socially. But it also brings social risks, including cyberbullying, exclusion, and a false sense of community.
Monitor your child’s social media activity and watch for warning signs like withdrawal from offline life and dishonesty about their social media use. Focus on natural boundaries over strict limits and encourage healthy social media habits such as active engagement rather than passive scrolling.
Learn more about how to monitor social media accounts, and get started with BrightCanary child monitoring today.
Has your child asked ChatGPT for diet advice? A study published in Frontiers in Nutrition examining this issue has experts sounding the alarm. Nutrition advice from AI is consistently harmful to growing adolescent bodies. This has serious health implications and can contribute to eating disorders.
I tested this out for myself and found results consistent with the researchers’ findings, along with language associated with disordered eating. Let’s get into it.
Here are some ways your child might ask AI for weight loss advice:
The study found that chatbots consistently suggest plans that don’t include the nutrition young bodies need to grow and develop. These interactions can also lead kids down a path of body insecurity and disordered eating.
Here are the risks:
On average, the AI suggestions in the study included almost 700 calories less per day than a dietitian recommended. That’s equivalent to skipping a full meal and is a large enough deficit to have a serious impact on things like growth and metabolic health.
My testing was consistent with this. Equally disturbingly, with a little pushback, the chatbots frequently followed my request to restrict calories beyond the initial, already insufficient suggestions.
The diet plans suggested by AI consistently deviated from the macronutrient balance dietitians recommend for adolescents.
For example:
Here are some of the ways asking AI for weight loss advice may contribute to disordered eating in children:
Follow these steps to protect your child from dangerous AI diet and weight loss advice:
If your child is exhibiting disordered eating behaviors, here are some resources:
Children increasingly turn to AI for weight loss advice, but research shows chatbot recommendations are often dangerous, averaging nearly 700 fewer daily calories than expert recommendations, with too much protein and too few carbohydrates for growing bodies. AI also tends to reinforce disordered eating behaviors and lacks the clinical judgment to assess individual risk.
Parents should educate kids about these dangers, monitor their AI use with a tool like BrightCanary, and instead connect them with qualified professionals.
