8 phone rules parents should set for kids, according to Facebook's former chief security officer

"When it comes to his kids' phones, former Facebook chief security officer Alex Stamos has a simple philosophy: "trust but verify." As schools institute cellphone bans and buy lockout pouches, parents continue to grapple with how much access their children should get to the internet. Stamos has had a particularly close-up view of its "horrible underside," having worked in leading security positions at both Yahoo and Facebook."

"The first question is just when your child should even have a phone. Stamos' 13-year-old daughter has a phone, which he said there was "no way to prevent." "She got it at 13, that was her line," he told podcast host and comedian Daniel Tosh. "Hold back on giving them a phone until they can handle it." In an email to Business Insider, Stamos wrote that "lots of kids have devices before 13," and that it was "up to every parent.""

""iPads or other tablets can be locked down to only allow the apps you approve, and it's important to not open up the web browser until they are older because then you have no control of what they get to," he wrote. Once they have a phone, Stamos said on the podcast that parents should watch their children's technological habits closely. His two rules about monitoring were that parents should always have the password to a child's phone and perform spot checks."

Recommended phone rules advise delaying phone ownership until children demonstrate responsibility, with many families choosing around age 13. Tablets can be locked down to allow only approved apps and the web browser should remain disabled until children are older. Social media access should be restricted and nighttime texting prevented because it contributes to social and educational problems. Parents should always hold the device password and perform periodic spot checks to monitor technological habits. These measures aim to limit exposure to harmful content, maintain parental control over online access, and reduce distractions that interfere with learning and wellbeing.

Read at Business Insider