Category: Online Safety for Kids

There are a number of reasons you may want to search to find someone online and you will need a specialized people search engine. Google isn’t designed to search public records to do a  background check on a person or help you reconnect with a friend from high school. This is where People Search USA comes in handy.

Let’s review the multiple situations that a person may want to search for someone. Some searches are to protect our kids, such as learning more about an individual who spends time around your children or you wonder about a suspect neighbor and would like to do a criminal record check.  Less concerning are those searches for people that are not regarding a safety issue.  You may simply be looking to locate a distant relative.

The People Search Engine

Google is great for research but not for searching Facebook profiles or looking for details of people online because public records are readily accessible.  However, there is a way to access these records by searching names, along with any other information you may have about them.  A search can also include addresses, phone numbers and email address.

People search results can reveal details gathered from millions of public records cross all states, including arrest records, court records, LDS geology, contact records and vital records.

Types of Search (USA)

People Search | Background Check | Search Public Records
Online Phone Book | Find Out Who Called

Searches will scan social media data as well for details that are publicly available and legal to access.  Regular search engines can’t gather these details and even more importantly, the information won’t be organized or cross checked with other data found from many other public sources.

The people search engine TruthFinder scans hundreds of millions of available public records in the United States, social network data, and deep web information to provide you with a detailed report about the person you want to find or check up on.

What is The Deep Web?

The Deep Web should not be confused with The Dark Web.  The latter is a dangerous and scary place as shown in this article here.  The Deep Web is safe and provides valueable information for research.  It includes private websites that you’ll need permission from and login credentials to access, as well as acedemic databases.

The Deep Web should not be confused with the Dark Web.  The latter is a dangerous and scary place as shown in this article here.  The Deep Web is safe and provides valuable high quality and verifiable information for research on many subjects.  It includes private websites that you’ll need permission from and login credentials to access, websites that require payment, as well as academic databases.  Schools, colleges and universities provide free access to the Deep Web at no cost.  This video explains it all in more detail.

Background Checks

One of the more popular people search tools is for a background check.  Individuals can learn more about co-workers and acquaintances and whether or not they have secret social media profiles. Search results include birth and death records, associates of a person, details of where they have lived and verified contact information.  There may be information about education history, employment records, property records, divorce records and civil judgements.  A search may also give details about business ownership and finances, including bankruptcies and tax liens.

Criminal Records Checks

Background checks include searching for a criminal past and sex offender status.   There may be a history of abuse, violence, or traffic records exposing tickets or even a DUI charge.  These details are important if you there is someone new in the life of your family that spends time around your children unsupervised.  There is plenty of attention given to protecting your children against online predators, but a criminal records check will also give parents peace of mind about family acquaintances in our local surroundings.

How People Search Protects Kids

No one likes a nosy neighbor, but you can still be a good neighbor to someone and be concerned about your kids’ well being in the neighborhood. There are other issues too.  Do your kids spend time across the street at a friends house? Do they ever go on a sleep over?

We all have life long friends and family members that we trust our kids with.  However, what about those people in your life that you understand to be upstanding citizens that you don’t know much about.  There are parents you just met on your child’s sports team. Others include relatively new acquaintances you met through your local school.

Your children may be car pooling with their friends to sports events.  They may be going to a friends house after school or overnight at a sleep over.  We want to believe the best about people. Still, sometimes you are not sure.  It’s difficult to monitor your child’s online presence, much less where they are when they are not with you at home. Therefore, doing a background check up on any adult that your child spends time with may be the only way to know for sure if you child is not going into a questionable situation.

Finding Family and Friends

Thanks to technology there have been a lot genealogy websites popping up where you can trace your entire family history using your DNA.  However, you may be only looking for a specific person you already know in your past. If this is the case, you probably don’t want to start the process of finding all your ancestors.

Remember that friend you had in high school?  Where does he, she or they live now?  When you don’t keep up on relatives and years later you want to reconnect, how do you track them down?   Or you call someone in your contacts and the number is no longer in service. They must have moved.

The TruthFinder people search engine not only helps you track people down using county, state and federal records.  It can also access LDS geology records.

Look up someone you know to find:

• Birth and death records
• Possible relatives and relationships
• Contact information
• Social media profiles
• Deep web details.

Controlling Your Personal Information Online

If someone where to look you up online, what public information would they find about you?  It’s been said, if you don’t have something to hide, why worry?  However, there are privacy issues as well to be concerned about.  As well, you’d be surprised how many people find information about themselves that is not inaccurate.

A public record check of yourself can determine if there is any information about you or someone in your family that needs to be corrected.

Phone Number Look Up to See Who Called You

It finally happened.  Telemarketers have finally figured out that people are cancelling their land lines, or at the very least they are no longer answer them.  Now it’s common to receive multiple calls at day from multiple sources on our cell phones.  Many of these include spoof calls. A spoof call is when a caller masks their call with someone else’s number. Often, these calls are local numbers that look a lot like yours.  There is nothing you can do it about it.  Blocking the call is pointless because the next call like this will be from a different number.

Legitimate telemarketers have permissions to call prospects.  They don’t spoof and usually you can find out who they are.  If you get on the line with a telemarketer you simply need to ask them to remove your from their list.  Legally they have to do it.

Unfortunately, the majority of calls you are getting are not legitimate.  You’ve probably noticed that when you answer, there is no one there. This could be a robocall and very often the purpose of the call is to verify there is a live person who answer.  Your phone number is then verified and can be sold to other scammers.

So, when you eliminate those who are spoofing numbers, there are still many other calls you may want to do a reverse number look up.  There may be real people, whether honorable or shady,  who are consistently calling you from the same number.  It may still be a scammer of some type.  It may be also telemarketers.  The call may be from a collection agency or someone who is harassing you for another purpose.  TruthFinder’s reverse phone look up may be the solution to see who it is.

There is also an online phone book you can search, including cell phone numbers. (Traditional phone book only access land lines)

People Search ReCap

Public Records | Criminal Background Checks | Addresses and Phone Numbers

Whomever you may be looking for, both online and offline, for safety concerns, curiosity or to connect with old friends or relocated family members, there is a search tool to help.

In 2021, increased screen time was ranked as one of the top three negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. During this time, the screen time of teenagers more than doubled from the 2019 numbers, increasing from 3.8 hours per day to 7.7 hours per day the following year, not including screen time necessary for activities like schoolwork or listening to music.

Studies also show that a shocking 50% of teens claim to feel addicted to their phones, and an alarming 72% feel the need to immediately check notifications and messages that they may receive.

Social Media and Screen Usage

This increase in social media and screen usage has led to further detrimental experiences among teenagers in the realm of mental health and bullying. It has been reported that adolescents who use social media more than 3 hours per day are at a heightened risk of mental health issues and other negative side effects such as self-esteem issues, diminished body image, or feelings of isolation and loneliness, or even cyberbullying.

Another significant issue with younger people beginning to use social media more often is the accidental exposure to inappropriate content that is unregulated on the internet. On average, children are first exposed to pornography at age 11, while in general, 34% of internet users have experienced unwanted exposure to this type of content while online. This early exposure can be harmful, as it normalizes unsafe behavior and possible violence, as well as opens the door to the dangerous world of child pornography and sexual abuse. In a shocking 77% increase in just one year, one third of reported child sexual abuse material was self-generated, with 80% of that content coming from 11 to 13 year old girls.

Online Safety for Children

Most parents are worried about their child’s safety online, and support the initiative to create an online environment that is more safe for them and their families. 40% of accidental exposure to inappropriate sexual content online was found by innocently entering simple search phrases into unregulated search engines. In addition, many young children are exposed to violence prematurely through video games or video content meant for adults. It is not difficult to bypass age verification systems on websites and games, and many of these activities require communication with strangers who are often much older than the child playing.

Establishing ground rules, good digital habits, enabling parental controls, and keeping an open line of communication with the child are all effective strategies to ensure that minors have a safe and positive experience when using the internet. It has been found that the majority of young teens feel more comfortable when their parents use control software to keep them safe online. As the internet and social media continue to develop, there are many options and strategies for families to ensure that their children are having nothing but positive experiences online.

It’s never too early to teach internet safety. Children of every age need to be guided and given boundaries online, including even the youngest family members. Review this internet safety checklist for preschoolers.

Parents did not have to educate their children about laptops’ safe usage in the past. This is because laptops were not easily accessible. And when children did use a laptop, they were no longer children who needed to be taught.  Everything has changed now.

As per research, half of all Two to four-year-olds (53 percent) have used a computer.  If you’re a parent or guardian considering introducing your youngster to computers, here are a few pointers to get you started:

Establish strict basic rules.

You may need to explain to youngsters that a laptop is not a toy, depending on their age. After that, you should set some ground rules for when and how your child may use the gadget. Consider designating a distinct portion of your house as a devoted work location, for example, the desk in the living room or the table in the kitchen.

Determine if an adult should be present in the room or nearby whenever your youngster uses the laptop. You may also want to establish limits on how long your child may use the laptop and the activities they can and cannot do online. We will discuss some of these points in detail further in this article.

Describe appropriate laptop care.

This is a difficult one. We all eat at our desks or read email while sipping coffee, but it’s a good idea to teach your kids to keep drinks and snacks far from the laptop in all circumstances. Also, emphasize that the mouse, keyboard, and other attachments are delicate items that should be handled with care. Explain how dropping a laptop or spilling food or drinks on the keyboard might cause irreversible damage to the device.

Purchase a personal laptop.

You can teach your children how to use laptops and tablets, but accidents are unavoidable. The greatest safeguard is designing special devices for kids to use (perhaps your old ones). If you have a purpose computer that you use for business, keep your children away from it. Chromebooks are low-cost laptop computers that may be suitable for young children.

Use the trackpad to practice.

Using a trackpad often necessitates the use of motor skills and coordination. If your child is young, you might wish to invest in a mouse gadget. If you do, make sure it fits comfortably within your child’s hand. They will have difficulties browsing menus and executing basic activities if they are physically unable to grip or operate a mouse. Keep in mind that whether you use a trackpad or a mouse, you can always modify the cursor speed and sensitivity from the control panel of your laptop.

Choose age-appropriate apps.

Young children whose motor skills are still developing may be unable to utilize programs that need them to click on extremely small things. They may also have difficulty scrolling. Several applications allow you to change your device’s interface containing more prominent icons and kid-friendly options.

Bookmark commonly visited URLs.

Using a safe kids search engine is the first step to keeping kids from finding content.  For added security, bookmarks are a terrific method for your child to store and organize certain websites and programs so they can quickly revisit them. Talk with your child and save the URLs you believe will be used the most. When you’re finished, show them where to locate the bookmarks and which items to click. Because youngsters can easily recognize programs by their icons, show out where they appear in the address.

Demonstrate to children how to open and log in to applications.

You may need to set things up for very young kids, but you should let them learn independently with little help. Have a printed copy of the login guidelines available until your youngster is familiar with the process.

Making Laptops Safe For Children to Use.

Children in elementary school will almost certainly use technology such as tablets and laptops on a regular basis. Because kids still look to you for guidance, now is a critical moment to establish and reinforce the proper use of technology and its benefits for your family.

Create Child Accounts

Children in this age group may need to use a laptop for schoolwork. The built-in parental controls in Windows (Microsoft Family) and macOS (Parental Controls) can let you establish time restrictions and limit app and web usage.

Privacy

Converse about safety early and very often. Remind children that what they post online remains online and that they should never reveal personal or sensitive information. Kids who have a habit of talking about their online activities are more likely to alert others if something makes them uncomfortable or unhappy in their digital lives.

Cyberbullying

Once children enter elementary school, offline bullying and cyberbullying have become a significant concern. Below is some essential advice for parents to provide to their children:

• Whether online or in-person, do not remain a silent observer if you witness bullying.
• Notify an adult.
• Speak out for the victim in front of the bully.
• Go out of your way to help the victim, such as involving them in your plans or checking in to see if they’re all right.

Laptop accessibility.

You’ll be able to control your kids’ computer exposure and be more involved with them when you keep gadgets in a central area, such as a family room.

Navigate their focus towards productivity.

You can maneuver your child’s technology interests toward productive outcomes. Digital literacy is a skill that is becoming increasingly valuable, and technology may provide fantastic educational and creative opportunities. If your child is interested, check if any classes are available about programming languages, digital design, animation, or other technology-related disciplines that can help them profit from technology and prepare them for the future.

Avoiding Addiction to Technology.

There are two significant early warning indicators you should look for to determine if your child has an unhealthy connection with technology. The first is behavioral, while the second is emotional.

1. On a behavioral level, it’s critical to detect when screens are consuming so much time that there’s no time left for offline activities, physical activity, or social interaction.
2. On the emotional front, it’s critical to detect when children experience emotional distress as a consequence of their online interactions because they’ve been bullied, shunned, or are deeply unhappy.

Keep an eye out if your youngster replaces offline activities he used to like with increased screen time, such as substituting family gatherings with screen time.

Conclusion.

As with other parenting concerns, consistent, honest communication is essential to ensuring that your family reaps the benefits of technology without suffering too many of its disadvantages. The goal is for kids to get the most out of their laptop as a student and at home while remaining safe online.

These days, kids spend a lot of time using screens. While you might not initially see a problem with digital engagement, the reality is that many children have a screen addiction. And, like any other addiction, that can come with a variety of issues for them now and in the future.

Before you talk to your children about screen time and addiction, it’s important to educate yourself on why it’s so important (and potentially dangerous). It’s estimated that kids and young adults between the ages of 8-28 spend over 44 hours each week in front of a screen. Let’s dive into that so you can be prepared for an educational conversation with your children. We’ll also cover some alternative ideas you can suggest to take the place of screen time in their lives.

What’s the Big Deal With Screen Time?

While letting your kids have screen time each week isn’t a bad thing, there’s a fine line when it comes to enjoying some entertainment and needing that time in front of a screen to feel satisfied. Not sure how to identify that line? Some of the most common signs of screen addiction include

• Your child can’t control their screen use
• They’ve withdrawn from other activities
• They’re being deceptive about how much time they spend in front of a screen
• They start having social issues

Unfortunately, too much screen time can harm your child’s developmental growth. Some studies have shown that excessive screen time can impact a child’s ability to learn, especially when it comes to language and communication. When you combine those communication issues with the common struggles of screen addiction, it can lead to more serious mental health concerns. Your child might start to isolate themselves, and their addiction could lead to anxiety or depression.

How to Teach Your Child About Screen Addiction

As a parent, your instinct might be to take away all digital devices from your child. But, going “cold turkey” isn’t always the best method for a child. It could end up fueling their dependence and possibly lead to other harmful addictions, even more, causing them to rebel or become more anxious, or contribute to withdrawal symptoms.

Instead, the best way to manage your child’s screen addiction is to talk to them about it. Make them aware of the potential risks using age-appropriate language, and explain to them why their health and well-being are more important than staring at a screen. You can even talk about specific types of problems, like smartphone addiction. If you have a teenager who seems to be glued to their phone 24/7, don’t be afraid to be honest with them about the effects that kind of addiction can have on their social life and relationships.

From there, you can set reasonable boundaries for their digital devices. That might include things like no screen time until homework and chores are done. Or, you can allow screens during certain hours of the day, but not others. At the end of the day, you’re the one who needs to put rules in place. Don’t be surprised if you experience some backlash, but when your child starts to understand those boundaries and knows they aren’t going to change, they’ll be more likely to follow them.

Come Up With Alternatives

It’s not uncommon for kids to turn on their digital devices out of boredom. One of the best things you can do to keep that from happening is to provide them with tech-free alternatives. Get creative with fun activities, and try things like

• Taking something apart to see how it works
• Creating a treasure hunt
• Flying a kite
• Building an indoor bowling alley
• Coloring

Don’t be afraid to try new activities that are out of your comfort zone. Not only will they keep your child’s interest, but you might spark a new hobby or passion that will encourage them to spend less time on a digital device and more time exploring that interest.

It’s also a great idea to get your kids outside as often as possible. Spending time in nature can help to reduce stress, boost energy, and improve your children’s mental state. If they’re having a hard time “detoxing” from their digital devices, the more time they spend in nature, the better. Go on a family walk every evening, or spend time at a local park a few times each week. Try to find activities that appeal to your child’s natural interests, and they’ll be more likely to want to be involved.

Like any addiction, a reliance on screens and digital devices is dangerous – especially for kids. Set an example in your house by monitoring your own screen time and limiting it in front of your children. By understanding the risks involved with screen addiction and setting boundaries for your kids, you’ll set them up for a future where they’re less dependent on technology, and more likely to have healthy relationships and strong communication skills.

About the Author
Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in education, mental health, family lifestyle and online safety. When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. You can follow her on Twitter.