Pastor Craig Gross to Launch Project to Help Parents Stay Ahead of Technology Curve
Craig Gross, the founding pastor of XXXchurch.com, will soon help parents stay up to date with technology to safeguard their children through iParent.TV, a yearly, subscription-based website that will teach on all topics related to cell phone devices, websites and apps for kids.
"If kids are awake, they are probably on a smartphone, in front of a smart TV, downloading apps, or posting to social networks. And most likely parents have no idea what they are doing," said Gross in a statement.
Designed to keep parents ahead of the tech curve, the website, set to launch in July, will also feature hundreds of videos and product reviews that are current, cutting edge and trending.
According to Gross, 58 percent of 10- to 12-year-old kids believe that they know how to hide their online activities from their parents. Additionally, 46 percent of children say they would change their online behavior if they knew their parents were paying attention.
Gross also notes that most parents do not have the energy to keep up with their children online and while over 70 percent of teens own a smartphone, 80 percent of parents do not even know how to begin monitoring their child's activity.
"The landscape is always changing," said Gross, in an online video. "Remember MySpace? That's what your kids are saying about Facebook."
Twitter, Vine, Snapchat, Instagram and other apps are just one of the few mobile trends that parents should be aware of, says Gross. That is why he is starting the website, triggered by a concerned group of dads who felt like their 9-year-olds knew more about technology than they did.
He hopes to fundraise $30,000 to help build the website and fund the first 100 videos and reviews on the latest tech trends. Gross, along with his co-founders are currently raising funds through Indiegogo, offering interested individuals the opportunity to become early adopters with special subscription rates.