Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

Where to Find

App Store

Google Play

Screenwise Verdict

Look, I get it. The digital world is scary, and the idea of knowing exactly where your kid is and what they're looking at online sounds reassuring. But this app is surveillance cosplaying as parenting.

There's a place for location sharing (especially for younger kids gaining independence) and reasonable screen time boundaries. But Boost Family Guard goes way beyond that—it's constant monitoring with zero educational value. Your kid doesn't learn why TikTok might be problematic or how to manage their own time; they just experience being watched and blocked.

The real problem? This approach teaches kids that they can't be trusted and don't need to develop their own judgment. And for older kids especially, it's a relationship destroyer. The companion app literally prevents uninstallation using accessibility permissions—imagine being a 14-year-old and knowing your parent has installed software you can't remove that tracks your every digital move.

If you need basic guardrails for a young child's first device, fine—but pair it with actual conversations about digital citizenship. And please, consider whether you're solving a real problem or just outsourcing the hard work of teaching your kid how to navigate technology responsibly. The $10/month would be better spent on literally anything that builds skills rather than just imposing control.

Age Fit

Potentially justifiable for younger kids (ages 6-10) who are just getting their first device and need training wheels, but becomes increasingly problematic for tweens and teens who need to develop autonomy and digital judgment. For teens, this is a trust-killer.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

35

This is surveillance software marketed as 'peace of mind.' While location tracking and screen time limits can be used responsibly, the framing here is fundamentally about control rather than trust-building or teaching digital citizenship. The app enables parents to monitor every website, block content, track real-time location, and prevent uninstallation—creating a dynamic that undermines autonomy and healthy parent-child communication. There's no educational component about why limits matter or how to self-regulate.

Imaginative

5

Zero imagination here. This is pure surveillance and restriction technology with no creative, exploratory, or educational elements. It's a monitoring tool, not a learning experience. Kids aren't building anything, discovering anything, or engaging with content—they're being watched and blocked.

Safe

25

From a technical safety standpoint, the app itself doesn't expose kids to harmful content. However, the privacy implications are significant—this requires installing companion software on the child's device that tracks location, monitors all internet usage, and uses Accessibility Service APIs to prevent uninstallation. The $10/month subscription after a 14-day trial, combined with aggressive monitoring features, raises concerns about normalized surveillance. The psychological safety impact of constant monitoring on trust and development is substantial.

Enriching

15

There's minimal enrichment value. While the app claims to 'help kids develop good digital habits,' it does so through external control rather than teaching self-regulation, critical thinking, or digital literacy. Kids don't learn why certain content is inappropriate or how to manage their own time—they just experience restrictions imposed from above. The SOS feature has some practical safety value, but overall this is about compliance, not growth.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Real-time location tracking could provide genuine peace of mind for parents of young kids in specific situations (walking to school, new independence milestones)
SOS alert feature gives both kids and parents a panic button for emergencies
Content filtering and screen time limits in one place, if you're looking for that level of control
Can manage up to 10 devices, useful for larger families

⚠

What to Watch For

This is surveillance software, full stop—it tracks location history, monitors all internet usage, and uses special permissions to prevent your kid from uninstalling it
Zero educational component about digital citizenship, self-regulation, or why limits matter—just external control
The dynamic this creates between parent and child is fundamentally about mistrust and compliance, not teaching or growing together
$10/month adds up fast, and you're locked into Boost Mobile's ecosystem
For older kids and teens, this level of monitoring can seriously damage trust and prevent them from developing their own judgment

Conversation Starters

"How would you feel if I could see everywhere you went and everything you looked at online? Let's talk about what privacy means in our family."
"What would help you make good choices about screen time without me having to control it remotely?"
"Are there specific situations where you'd actually want me to be able to track your location for safety?"

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