I Just Gave my Teen a Smartphone, But I also Did Something Else with it

I just gave my 12 year old a smartphone. Now, before you get on your high-horse and judge me, let me explain why I did it and what I did in order to make sure she used it responsibly.

My daughter Katie is a very responsible girl. She gets top grades in school, does all of her homework and chores without being told to, and treats others better than anyone I know. Her amount of empathy for those around her is unmatched by anyone I’ve ever met. She’s also a good athlete—playing lacrosse, basketball and soccer throughout the year—as well as an excellent pianist for her age.

Recently she asked if she could have an iPhone. Her mother and I balked at first—we didn’t really think she was old enough for one, plus they are really expensive—but we changed our mind when Katie offered to pay for it herself with her own money. We didn’t think it would be right of us to let her spend all of her saved birthday and holiday cash on a smartphone—seeing as the device would also help her with school work and actually be a bonus for us in keeping in contact with her—so we told her we’d pay half.

Katie was ecstatic and we were glad we said yes, but we were also concerned. We knew of all the dangers and temptations that lurked on the Internet. We had a home computer. Giving her a device filled with all of those dangers to be carried around in her pocket scared us. Yes, there’s a lot of porn. Believe me, I know. I’m a man. I know how easy it is to find it. There are also a lot of ways for pedophiles and perverts to get at my daughter. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, chat rooms, texts, emails—all can give any creep direct access to my little girl. If Katie was going to walk around with something that put her at risk, we needed to lay down some ground rules. And we did.

We told her she couldn’t use the device during school except for an emergency of course. We explained all of the things that bothered us that she could see. We told her we would check the device with software that could spy on someones cell phone from time to time to make sure everything was kosher. She agreed without question. Katie also was fine with the stipulation that she only use the device in a public space of the house—no bedroom or bathroom. And we also told her that we would install a mobile monitoring app on her phone, just to make sure that she was being responsible (which we knew she would be) and that no one was trying to harm her in some way. We used to software to spy on other cell phones free of actual physical contact for her safety from whats going in and coming out of her cell phone.

So with all of that in order, we bought her an iPhone—the previous version since it was cheaper—and looked for mobile surveillance software program that would give us the most bang for our buck. After searching through countless ads and websites we found one that worked like a charm. We went with one called SurePoint Spy. It installed easily and within minutes I was able to start monitoring Katie’s phone. We told her to sign in to all of her accounts and play with the phone for a few hours. Then we sat down with Katie and showed her how it worked. At first we were all shocked at what we could do. We checked her calls and texts and searched through her browser history. We looked at the three selfies she took of herself in the mirror and then at her posts of it on Twitter and Instagram. After that we activated her camera and microphone to see how well that worked. Crazy.

There was a lot more that we could do, but we didn’t want to spend the whole day spying on our daughter. She’s a really good girl and I know she will continue to be that way. I just want to make sure that she’s always safe. I think that with this mobile monitoring app on it, I can probably feel that way. This software was so interesting that I could even spy on spouse cell phone to monitor what's going on on my wife's phone too. Of course I'd never think she was doing anything wrong, but it could be a good way to protect her from any unknown harms that could come her way.

Questions Users Should Ask When Choosing Mobile Monitoring Software

Choosing mobile monitoring software can be somewhat of a challenge. There are many options to choose from and people can get free or paid subscriptions.  The software offers a level a security the cell phone itself cannot provider. The concept of monitoring a cell phone may have advantages and disadvantages, but depending on your personal situation you may see it as a necessity. To find the best software for your device there are questions you can get answers to that offer more insight about mobile monitoring and how to find the best option for the phone you want to track.  Here are a few common questions buyers ask that help them make informed decisions on what mobile spy software to download.

• Is it compatible? How do you know it is compatible?  Knowing the operating system of your device will let you know what software will work with the target phone. There are monitoring cell phone apps for Android and iOS.  Most software options are clear on what it is compatible with. You can check this information on their website.  If there are doubts contact their customer support with concerns or questions prior to downloading.
• How do I use it? Most cell phone spy apps offer simple tips on how to use it.  For the most part it should be easy to use and understand.  The company should offer insight on how it works through tutorials, articles and other details to ensure customers have a good experience with the product.  When learning how to use it there should be specific details about features and the results to expect.
• What are others saying about it? Check feedback and reviews from others who are using the product.  There are some who may use it for an extended time period while others just have a temporary use for it.  Did they like it? Do they recommend it to others? What are reasons why they are using it? Did they find it easy to use?
• Is the software recommended? This is an important element to consider.  If there is negative feedback about the software take it into consideration.  What are reasons why people didn’t like the product?  This can be anything from lack of compatibility to certain features not working due to the type of device they were trying to track. If it seems to be more people not recommending the product it could be something to stay away from.
• Will my actions be undetected? If you intend to use the device without the user knowing they are being monitored, make sure the product states monitoring is undetectable.  They may offer tips or advice on how to ensure your actions are not detected. This is another factor to look for when consider consumer reviews and feedback.
• How much does it cost? There are free options that may offer limited features when it comes to cell phone monitoring. This means you may not be able to view or control activity conducted on the target device at all times.  There are paid options making it easy to try the software free before paying fees.  Yet, some argue it may not be necessary to pay a monthly fee but it depends on features offered.
• What is remote monitoring? Are you able to control and view what happens on the cell phone without having the device near you? Learn what features this includes and how they benefit your needs.
• What actions can I do with the software?  Review features included with software which should include actions for text messages, emails, photos, GPS, and more.
• Is it easy to use? The step-by-step process should be simple and easy to follow.
• Finally, if you’re searching to spy on other cell phones free, it’s important to understand that many free apps on the market don’t offer the same robust and powerful features or live customer service agents that Surepoint Spy does. These two reasons alone make it a more superior cell phone spy software, and one that’s highly recommended by many in the surveillance industry.