Parent and Caregiver PROGRAMS
Welcome Parents and Caregivers!
For all parents and caregivers. Protecting your family’s well-being, safety, and privacy in our fast-paced and ever-changing digital world. From early access to technology and increasing digital-based anxieties, we’ll inform you of the long-term impacts of our digital choices and help you set healthy boundaries towards screen time limitations and account restrictions.
Parenting Workshops
One-on-One Services
Social Media Crisis? Digital Parenting Issues? We Can Help!
Did you know that we provide one-on-one support and restorative justice services? Whether it is preventive help to keep your family safe online or when things go wrong in your digital world, we are here to help.
We have a staff of trained experts that can help you set needed parental controls, privacy settings and create digital family plans. We are also here to help when malicious digital crimes occur because, even with preventive measures in place, kids can make mistakes or be targeted by online predators.
Phishing scams are so prevalent, children as young as 10 are often assaulted with links to online pornography, graphic images of body parts, requests for self-generated Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) or offers of “friendship” in exchange for financial gain. At one Omaha middle school, 50% of students reported having sent or received an explicit image. What may seem harmless to them could be putting these students at high risk for digital exploitation.
Digital devices fall under federal jurisdiction as information often crosses state lines. So, we have partnered with the FBI and local law enforcement to assist in child enticement, child exploitation, CSAM, and all other digital crimes against children situations. While this can be an intimidating prospect, Smart Gen Society caseworkers act as liaisons between youth, families, and law enforcement, making sure the process is understandable and clear. We will continue to work to restore digital well-being and help prevent future occurrences. We also have trained mediators that can help resolve cyber bullying and harassment issues as well as mediating with families to resolve digital disagreements.
Here’s what to do if digital exploitation occurs:
- Don’t delete the account or tip off the predator.
- Place the device in Airplane Mode and keep it in a safe place.
- Contact Smart Gen Society or FBI.
- If you believe abuse or neglect has already occurred, please contact the NE CPS Hotline: 1-800-652-1999
Frequently Asked Questions
Smart Gen evaluates the most popular interactive and social media apps with our copywritten algorithm which evaluates safety, privacy, and content. We share our compiled research throughout our website and resource page and update it every three months. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, submit an app for review below.
SGS recommends children being at least 13 years or older. Social media offers a great opportunity for students to connect but also has many negative implications on their mental and emotional well-being. We recommend not only waiting until age 13 but also waiting until your child is mentally and emotionally prepared to handle the digital world with the right tools to know what to do when something goes wrong. This is not only a guideline we have but also a legal one. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 is a United States federal law that imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age.
There are numerous ways to monitor your child’s online activity through family pairing and screen time on devices. However, the most proactive approach is by opening up communication. It’s essential to build trust with your child. They need to know that if they come to you with an online problem that they won’t be greeted with anger and blame. Every interaction you have with your child when they do something wrong can either increase or decrease the likelihood of them turning to you for assistance again. Build trust with your student and be there for open and understanding conversation. For more information about how to start building open lines of communication listen to our podcast.
You are not alone. Smart Gen offers many ways to get individual help! You can contact us, call our office at 402-505-3993, and even schedule a one-on-one consultation – in-person or on Zoom. Let us know how we can help you!
