My son has an Ipod touch with the free text download. My question is how do I get a record of these? I want to be able to monitor him from time to time just to be sure he is sending/receiving appropriate material and to keep him on the straight and narrow. If he knows I can check he might think twice, even if I ultimately don't.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Parent Looking To Track Teens Text Msg - How Do I Do It?
- Thread starter MFKUSCH
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
AFAIK, that's impossible. If it were a cell phone, like the iPhone, it would be pretty easy (I think).
For a computer, I'd recommend VNC, but since the iPT doesn't support that, VNC is a no-go.
Also, the iPT needs an internet connection to do this.
For a computer, I'd recommend VNC, but since the iPT doesn't support that, VNC is a no-go.
Also, the iPT needs an internet connection to do this.
And you do that how? If you do the block rating thing, all apps in the categories above the specified age group will be blocked.
You don't have kids!
I would happily leave him alone if teenagers the world over used good sense on a daily basis. However, they have been known to make some pretty dumb choices and today those can have serious and long lasting consequences. In my day, a teenager could afford to make a bad choice from time to time without it following him around for life - or ending up on youtube within minutes. I am not trying to control - just do my job as a parent as best I can. This is new to all of us.
I would happily leave him alone if teenagers the world over used good sense on a daily basis. However, they have been known to make some pretty dumb choices and today those can have serious and long lasting consequences. In my day, a teenager could afford to make a bad choice from time to time without it following him around for life - or ending up on youtube within minutes. I am not trying to control - just do my job as a parent as best I can. This is new to all of us.
Or if he knows you can check, and he wants to do something you wouldn't approve of, he'll just find another way to do it which you cant check.
If you want your son to be mature and make smart decisions, treat him maturely and sit down and talk with him about it.
Trust me, it'll work out alot better than if you spy on him.
Just wanted to point out that the 'net's been up since the late '80's - early '90's and texting has been around since cell phones got color displays or earlier, YouTube's been providing funny and cool content since Feb. '05, Facebook since Feb. '04.
Unless this is 2005, none of this is new. The only thing in this thread that is newer than '05 is the iPT. That was out in '07.
i mean if you really want to see what he's up to,
check his ipod touch at times. he probably doesn't keep the device on him all the time, so like.. when hes showering, sleeping, etc.
as a teen id hate it if my parents did this but it seems like the only way.
and if he has a lock on it then you might have to go all the way as to connect it to the computer that its been synced on.
and if u dont want him to text, just dont let him have the app.
check his ipod touch at times. he probably doesn't keep the device on him all the time, so like.. when hes showering, sleeping, etc.
as a teen id hate it if my parents did this but it seems like the only way.
and if he has a lock on it then you might have to go all the way as to connect it to the computer that its been synced on.
and if u dont want him to text, just dont let him have the app.
My kids are already grown, so I think I can certainly understand your quandary
Unfortunately, I would suggest you won't get much sympathy around here
Many of the responses you get will come from kids themselves looking to berate you
Others may not technically be kids, but are of a more liberal persuasion and feel you should let them do as they please
Google will be a friend to you, even if it is difficult to find things
The bottom line is, you are not likely to get much support in the techno world for this
There are no easy answers
But keeping communication open with your child will be the best course of action
My recommendation is to take this out of the public arena though
A board like this is just going to open you up to abuse
Woof, Woof - Dawg
Why don't you tell him a little white lie? Tell him you will be checking up on his texting activity and that owning an iPod touch is a privilege and not a right. Doesn't really matter if you do check or not- as long as he thinks you are checking.
"Google will be a friend to you, even if it is difficult to find things
The bottom line is, you are not likely to get much support in the techno world for this
There are no easy answers
But keeping communication open with your child will be the best course of action
My recommendation is to take this out of the public arena though
A board like this is just going to open you up to abuse"
Thats the best advice! Thank you so much. And I understand the need for privacy, but kids are making choices today that can ruin their lives. As a parent of a young teen (with two more not far behind), I want them to grasp technology and appreciate it and participate in it if it helps them socially, but there has to be a balance.
The bottom line is, you are not likely to get much support in the techno world for this
There are no easy answers
But keeping communication open with your child will be the best course of action
My recommendation is to take this out of the public arena though
A board like this is just going to open you up to abuse"
Thats the best advice! Thank you so much. And I understand the need for privacy, but kids are making choices today that can ruin their lives. As a parent of a young teen (with two more not far behind), I want them to grasp technology and appreciate it and participate in it if it helps them socially, but there has to be a balance.
Sorry to be a liberal or whatever but I would just be honest with him, and respect his privacy. I don't see how texting alone can contain any more inappropriate content than just talking with friends. If you wanted to block net access to inappropriate sites for him then that's fair enough.
So instead of working on being a friend with your son/daughter so they can be more open with you, you resort to spying on them? That won't really solve anything.
I can see where the OP is coming from when it comes to kids, but has anyone thought the reason why kids are doing the things they're doing is because their parents are doing things like this to begin with?
Sorry OP I hope you're not offended, but there are people out there that have the leashes on the kids really tight and their children choose to rebel.
Good luck with your search.
Sorry OP I hope you're not offended, but there are people out there that have the leashes on the kids really tight and their children choose to rebel.
Good luck with your search.
GREAT way to show a kid that they can be trusted with something. WONDERFUL parenting skills.
Oh, and the kid can find out, easily. It doesn't matter what is done.
I doubt he can make bad decisions via an ipod touch* (that sends messages? has to be iphone).
the OP also said anything about making choices that can ruin their lives, via a phone? Then he must already be involved in some pretty heavy stuff if he can do that via a phone....unless he's found a way to get women pregnant via texts.
Sorry for my sarcasm, I feel bad that you can't trust your son enough that you need to resort to spying.
the OP also said anything about making choices that can ruin their lives, via a phone? Then he must already be involved in some pretty heavy stuff if he can do that via a phone....unless he's found a way to get women pregnant via texts.
Sorry for my sarcasm, I feel bad that you can't trust your son enough that you need to resort to spying.
Apparently you haven't heard of sexting and how it can lead to teens being charged as sex offenders for child pornography, which can hurt their future greatly.
Being charged for sexting? That i've never heard of actually, it's quite common over here but well, we have different laws than you do in the states(which im guessing the OP lives in). The only crimes that has anything to do with sex over here is well, rape, underage pornography and paedophelia but thats illegal everywhere (last time i checked)
Only in America (literally). Most countries actually have a reasonable view of things like this. Although, alas, I think Britain is heading the same way as the US.
If you're referring to being charged for it, Yes I would probably agree. Here in sweden though, it's quite common to send texts talking about "explicit" stuff such as sex etc but explicit pictures, even though its not illegal, is something the majority thinks that its something that shouldn't be tossed around, if you even have any of those pictures
