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Family Digital Wellness
Educate
Family Digital Wellness is a journey of learning from our own experiences and those of others. Good digital habits are a life skill that needs constant practice!
Connect
Children need to be socially connected and tech plays a huge role in their lives. Help them make choices to connect safely and happily!
Protect
Devices open doors to worlds that you don’t necessarily want your children to explore. Make sure that devices are protected to keep your children safe!
Family Digital Wellness
Educate
Family Digital Wellness is a journey of learning from our own experiences and those of others. Good digital habits are a life skill that needs constant practice!
Connect
Children need to be socially connected and tech plays a huge role in their lives. Help them make choices to connect safely and happily!
Protect
Devices open doors to worlds that you don’t want your children to explore. Make sure that devices are protected to keep your children safe!
What do you need help with?
Screen time
Pornography & Violence
Gaming
Social Media
Filters & Limits
Settings
Cyberbullying
Stranger Danger
What Area Do You Need Help With?
Screen time
Pornography & violence
Gaming
Social Media
Filters & Limits
Cyberbullying
Stranger Danger
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Your questions answered
It depends on their age and whether it’s fun or functional screen time
Make a Family Digital Alliance and agree how, when and where screens are used. Use screen time apps and/or WiFi routers to help guide and develop your family’s good digital habits
Take a deep breath and then talk to them using our guide linked below. Use parental filters to prevent access to inappropriate adult websites and limit social media apps and games.
ScreenTime (iOs) and Family Link (Android) are a good start, but installing parental control filters on devices and WiFi are best.
Default settings for phones, tablets, computers and gaming consoles can all be reset to protect data security and location.
Settings for apps and games can be changed to protect the identity and location of your kids, to keep them safer.
ScreenTime (iOs) and Family Link (Android) are a good start, but installing parental control filters on devices and WiFi are best.
App and game developers use similar persuasive technology techniques to those used by the gambling industry, to make apps and games irresistible, compulsive and hard to stop.
Cyberbullying is prevalent on social media and online games, make it a habit of asking your child about their 'Digital Day' to keep lines of communication open about their online world. If they tell you they are being Cyberbullied, treat it as if it were in person bullying, contact the bullys parent, escalate to a teacher if need be, and be sure to take a screenshot the bullying so you can have a discussion about it.
Congratulate your child on speaking up. Teach your child to be a Cyber Superhero: an Upstander rather than a Bystander.
If you wouldn’t open your front door to strangers and let them play in your child’s room, monitor who they are talking to online.
DIGITAL WELLBEING, SIMPLIFIED
What do we do?
We get parents and children talking about the device use challenges they have, and how they can improve their daily digital habits. We speak in schools, run online learning experiences, and promote practical products that can help to make sure you and your children are educated, connected and protected when it comes to your digital wellness.
We simplify the complicated world of digital wellness with practical guides, resources, information and products. To ensure we are offering solutions that our parents and children really need, our work is driven by the search enquiries we receive every day. Try it below!
Search for answers here...
WHO WE WORK WITH
Clients
We work with schools, parents, EdTech companies, and industry leaders to create learning experiences that improve daily digital habits.
Our broad range of exposure to the challenges of maintaining balanced digital wellness means that we are well equipped to educate, connect and protect our clients.
Clients
Our Partners
Be In Touch Founders
Kate & Josh
5 STAR REVIEWS
What our customer say about us
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The solution could not be more relevant. 
Arno Van Der Walt
December 15, 2020 - Josh and his team bring significant experience, best practice and the latest tech to the digital wellness space. Our learnings through Be In Touch really emphasize the dire need for all parents to step into a space or knowing how to manage your child’s online journey always supporting healthy usage. I highly recommend working with Josh
Misha Teasdale
December 14, 2020 - Very important for all families with young children, tweens and teens!
Susan Tasker
December 10, 2020 - An amazing organization made up of an amazing team! Extremely proud to be associated with BIT!
Russell Pengelly
December 14, 2020 - Real, practical guidance that can save us a lot of damage and drama. A stitch in time n all. Thanks Josh!
Linda Wilson
December 14, 2020 - deeply thoughtful ideas to help parents with meaningful control over the acess to social media for their children.
TimRobin Farina
December 10, 2020 - Simple, insightful - what all busy parents need
Rmd Gammatec
December 10, 2020 - Be in Touch is an absolute invaluable initiative and resource for parents and their children, and even for grandparents like myself, as we navigate this ever growing digital landscape. The digital connected world has such incredible value, but also many challenges, as not only we are being exposed to very powerful negative agendas over the web, but also the danger of devices being the new addiction. Josh and team, thanks so much for coming form a deep values-based motivation to support us in this way.
Tertia Smit
December 17, 2020
In The Media
Come join us inside your teen’s TikTok life!
Wednesday 22 September at 12 noon (SAST).
*Link in bio to register*
#beatiktokker #beintheknow #beintouch
The reminder we need to hold onto!
#8secondhug #savethekids #collinkartchner
Yip, a lot of days I sooo get Bob!
#betechsavvy #besmart #beintouch
Join us as we dive into the teen digital world and explore *Snapchat* - why teens love it and what parents need to know about it!
Wed September 15th @12 noon (SAST)
Link to register for this free webinar in *bio*
#beintheknow #beaware #bethere #beintouch
John Carr (Secretary of the UK Children’s Charities’ Coalition on Internet Safety and member of the Executive Board of the UK Council for Child Internet Safety), believes that online age verification is one of the key tools in protecting our kids as they go online.
To work, it is dependant on proper age restriction regulation of adult content websites and social media apps – and this is the pressure that online safety advocates (and indeed all of us parents) need to put on regulators globally!
#beinspired #beachangemaker #bewoke #beintouch
@getyoti
The responsibilities of schools versus parents are often blurred when it comes to teaching digital citizenship and the online safety of tweens and teens.
The schools we work with report spending an inordinate amount of teaching time, trying to mediate and deal with social media issues arising outside of school time. Does this resonate with your school??
What is the school’s responsibility? 👉We believe it is to educate and mentor learners about their online rights and responsibilities.
Where do parents come in? 👉We believe they need to protect and guide their kids as they go online.
Chat to us about the work we do in schools to:
• unpack what learners are really doing and seeing online,
• understand how this affects the school day,
• clarify school vs parental roles and responsibilities, and
• jointly find practical responses to help teens keep safer and saner online.
[email protected] www.beintouch.org.za
#beclear #besafe #besane #beintouch
Similar to Tinder, Hoop users can swipe through other user profiles to decide who they want to begin a conversation with, using their Snapchat handle. Hoop has one purpose: connect Snapchat users with each other. Just like Snapchat Streaks, Hoop incentivises frequent use. Users earn points in the form of diamonds for activities like giving out their Snap, logging in daily, viewing videos or taking surveys – and have to use diamonds earned to “pay” to connect with people to learn their Snap username.
With a high predator and data privacy risk, this this is not an app for tweens and teens. Common Sense Media “real age” rating: 17+
What to do?
👉Join our free webinars to get up to speed on popular social media apps
Talk, talk and talk to your kids about apps, and the risks they may pose to their safety and sanity.
👉If you want to allow kids to download apps but with your permission, set up Family Sharing (iOS) or Family Link (Android).
👉To prevent access to app stores turn off the app store in Screen Time (iOS) or use an app lock (Android).
👉Install a parental control that will alert you, so that you can be there for your kids when they need you.
#bethere #beintheknow #besavvy #beintouch
You know it!
#parentinglife #bepatient #beintouch
Hey parents! Join our 30 minute quick and fun dives into your teen’s online life, giving real insights and solutions for busy parents!
The upcoming September series on “the terrible trio” – Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram - is one not to missed by any parent keen to find out more about the highs and lows of these social media apps, and how they can help keep their teens safer and saner whilst on them.
*Click link in bio to register for these FREE webinars!
#beintheknow #besavvy #bethere #beintouch
Parenting priorities...! Not sure where on earth to start? Check out the awesome free downloads we've got to share with you.
You know what to do, click the link in our bio!
#parentingpriorities #digitalparenting #beintouch #bethere
Who else thought a flip phone was the height of COOL?? Back in the day 😜
#chasingtech #becool #besavvy #beintouch
Credit: @jerrykcartoons
As a parent, YOU are the most important influence in your child’s life and nothing can substitute you!
Teaching kids to become good citizens of the digital world, and to look after themselves and others as they go online, can’t be outsourced. It's a trial and error, watch and learn process. And we need to remember that good kids sometimes make bad choices!
Knowing what is going on in your child’s online world, means knowing what is going on in their LIFE. Parental controls give you insights into what your child is interested in, what they love (and don’t), what type of people they like to hang out with, what their developing values and beliefs are, and so much more!
Click on our bio for more insights on parental controls and why your family needs them.
#beaware #betheparent #beintheknow #beintouch
We’ve got all your family digital dilemmas covered…FAQ’s, handy resources, great articles, cool gadgets.
Check out our website *link in bio* and sign up to be a part of the Be In Touch Digital Village, where no parent gets left behind!
#standtogether #digitalvillage #digitaldillemas
There is no other way around this: online porn damages developing brains. It is highly addictive, hard core, violent, abusive, and changes how girls see boys and boys see girls – affecting relationships for the rest of their lives.
With 1 in 4 kids having been exposed to online pornography by the time they are 12, we are dealing with WHEN not IF it happens.
Unless there are parental controls on your devices, as well as those of all the friends that your kids visits, you may not know when it happens. Either way, you need to open the conversation gate!
After the Birds and Bees Talk, must come the Porn Talk. Check out our guide (link in bio) and start this conversation with your kids as soon as you can. Please!
#porntalk #beintouch
Parental controls are about monitoring not spying. Protecting, guiding and mentoring our kids as they go online, is an absolutely essential part of our job as parents in today’s digital world.
Controls that give you alerts about what you need to guide your kids on, as well as giving you insights into what their passions and interests are, helps to build bridges for amazing connections between parents and their kids!
Chat to us about what would work for YOUR family [email protected]
#parentalcontrols #bethere #beintouch
Cyberbullying – mercilessly easy with devastating consequences. We need superheros more than ever before. We need those brave characters who step forward when they see wrong, and step up to set it right. Who are not afraid to speak up when someone needs to do so. Who can make a big impact to someone else’s life, with a small action. We call them UPSTANDERS. They are our cyber superheros.
An upstander can make all the difference to stopping cyberbullying quickly. We can teach and empower our kids to play an important role in protecting each other, by choosing to be an upstander rather than a bystander. How could they react when they observe cyberbullying?
Don’t laugh, encourage the bully or participate
Don’t become an “audience” for the bully, even the silent kind
Support the person being cyberbullied with a kind, caring, or complimentary message
Include the victim in some of your online activities
Reach out to offer the cyberbully some kindness - they probably need it more than you think!
And always offload to an adult.
#stopcyberbullying #bekind #beanupstander
Kids don't come with a parenting manual! When it comes to setting our own family rules around devices and going online safely, we try to keep in mind these easy 8 steps to digital parenting.👣
Have you got any tried and tested tips to share? We'd love to hear them!👊
#digitalparenting #8steps
Yes, if only life was that easy, my dear teen! 😀
#wishfulthinking
Credit: @jerrykcartoons
As the protests roll out through South Africa, your kids will be getting alerts, updates, tweets, posts, and breaking news directly to their phones. No matter how old they are, they may feel worried, frightened, angry, or even guilty. So, besides banning all devices, what can you do as a parent to help your kids deal with all this information?
Common Sense Media has these great suggestions:
⏩ For the family -
🔹Consider your own reactions. Your kids will look to the way you handle the news to determine their own approach. If you stay calm and rational, they will, too.
🔹Take action. Depending on the issue and kids' ages, families can find ways to help those affected by the news.
⏩ For kids under 7 -
🔹Keep the news away. Turn off the TV and radio news when they are in range.
🔹Talk about how you will keep your family safe. Try not to minimize or discount their concerns and fears, but reassure them by explaining all the protective measures that exist to keep them safe.
🔹Be together. Though it's important to listen and not belittle their fears, distraction and physical comfort can go a long way.
⏩ For kids 8–12 -
🔹Carefully consider your child's maturity and temperament. Many kids can handle a discussion of threatening events, but if your kids tend toward the sensitive side, be sure to keep them away from the TV news; repetitive images and stories can make dangers appear greater, more prevalent, and closer to home.
🔹Be available for questions and conversation. At this age, many kids will see the morality of events in stark black-and-white terms and are in the process of developing their moral beliefs.
🔹Talk about, and filter, news coverage. If you let your kids use the Internet, go online with them. Monitor where your kids are going online.
⏩ For teens -
🔹Check in. Since, in many instances, teens will have absorbed the news independently of you, talking with them can offer great insights into their developing politics and their senses of justice and morality.
🔹Let teens express themselves. Many teens will feel passionately about events. Try to address their concerns without dismissing or minimizing them.
@commonsenseorg
Privacy Protection or Secrecy Safeguarding?
WhatsApp already allows users to send messages that automatically delete themselves after seven days, and is now launching their new feature “View Once”, mimicking Snapchat’s disappearing photos and videos. The recipient will be able to view the photo or video only once, before the message self-destructs. It's good to keep in mind that the image will remain on the screen as long as it is not closed. During this time, the recipient can take a screenshot of the image, and WhatsApp will not notify the user because, unlike apps like Snapchat, there is no method used to detect screenshots implemented inside the app. Similarly, users can also record the image using another camera while the image is open.
Will WhatsApp now become the new easy-access cyberbullying, sexting and porn sharing app for tweens and teens? 🥺
#safersocialmedia #keepkidssafe
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