When you are thinking about a very special holiday gift for your kid, one of the first things that spring to mind is a smartphone, tablet or laptop. It’s common knowledge that these devices aren’t very useful unless connected to the Internet. But how do you make sure your children are on the safe side when they go online?

According to studies, kids spend more than nine hours a day surfing the web. That’s a lot of time, isn’t it? You must be wondering what they are doing on the Internet all that time and whether you are giving them enough information to keep their experience hassle-free.

First and foremost, it’s extremely important to keep abreast of sketchy apps your children shouldn’t be installing. This is easier said than done, as there are plenty of ways kids can conceal those potentially unwanted apps from parents. You should know what red flags to look out for.

For instance, you may have never heard of the app called YouNow, but guess what – it is immensely popular with youngsters. It is a streaming applet that’s quite likely to be already on your kids’ devices. There are hashtags that create a great deal of hype such as ‘bored,’ ‘singing’ and ‘dancing.’ Another hashtag trending on YouNow, ‘sleepingsquad,’ features people while they are sleeping.

Anyway, when using this service, children mostly live stream what they are doing at home in their rooms. They also chat with other users. Although this basically sounds innocuous, things may turn upside down. When kids decide to get more likes quickly, you never know what they are up to. Plus, they disclose tons of sensitive information. This is merely one online service parents should keep an eye on.

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