The Fort Worth Star-Telegram app is a wonderful tool for getting updated information about local events. And the stories that matter most to society.
However, as a parent, it is very important to ensure that your child’s use of the app is in accordance with the values and rules of your home.
Here is a step by step guide to help you achieve a safe web browsing environment for your children. Including how to set up parental control and manage screen time.
Does the Fort Worth Star-Telegram still exist?
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is still one of the largest daily newspapers in America. It began operation in 1906 to cater for Fort Worth and the larger Tarrant County.
The company was formed from the consolidation of two local papers. And it has grown to be one of the main sources of news particularly the North Texas region.
Presently, however, mainly due to shifting consumer behavior in regard to newspapers, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has shifted more toward a digital orientation.
This is while the newspaper is reducing its print schedule from five days a week to three as from October 2024.
Most people have chosen to download the Fort Worth Star-Telegram app, as it allows them to access the news at their convenient time.
Millions of people are already reading its articles online. As the application is mainly aimed at improving user experience by offering fresh articles and a selection of reads.
This change of tune is a sign of the newspaper’s effort to stay afloat. In a world where digital is quickly becoming the order of the day.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram app: features and functionality
The app includes several features and functions that the Star-Telegram reader can find helpful on his/her device.
- Real-time news updates. Users get to be informed of events happening locally or nationally through the alerts feature of the application.
- Curated content. The app includes a reader’s corner where users can subscribe to various topic of interest and receive articles to read.
- User-friendly interface. The app’s navigation is designed so that the user can quickly locate articles, videos, and other content.
- Access to multimedia. Apart from textual articles, the users can watch videos, go through the photo galleries and participate in the interactive sections.
- Offline reading. The articles can be easily downloaded to the user’s device for easy reading when there is no internet connection.
- Comics and puzzles. There are entertaiment items included in the app such as comics and printable puzzles that will be of interest to many.
- Subscription management. The customers can also update, transform, or even control their accounts from within the app.
Such features make the Fort Worth Star-Telegram app a useful application for readers who need to be in touch with the community and the world.
Safe browsing starts here!
How much is the Fort Worth Star-Telegram subscription on its app?
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram is available as a paid app to which users have to subscribe to get full access to the content. Its different subscription plans usually contain the following.
Monthly plan. This plan is suitable for readers who want temporary subscriptions. One can pay 99 cents for the first month, and $15.99 per month, on a monthly basis.
Annual plan. A cheaper solution for long-term customer. It provides access to the platforms at the price of $0.44 per day, billed annually at $159.99 per year.
New subscriptions also usually involve one having to pay an activation fee of $9.99 one-time fee.
This subscription to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram would also entitle someone to the following.
- star-telegram.com
- iPad apps
- Mobile websites such as DFWvarsity.com
- e-Edition paper
Parents need to consider the cost of an app when considering family subscriptions. This is especially if they plan to grant limited access to their children.
For instance, restricting how much time children spend using the device. And making adjustments on the applications can guarantee that the purpose of the subscription is achieved.
Potential risks of Fort Worth Star-Telegram app for kids
Although the FWST app can be a wonderful resource for news. There are several possible dangers for children if the app is not restricted in its usage.
Here are some key concerns.
Inappropriate or overwhelming content
- Graphic images. There are many news stories featuring pictures depicting car crashes, fights, fires or other catastrophic events. They may shock children or upset them.
- Political news. Political news are often sensitive and may contain material that can be rather hard for the child to comprehend. At times they contain explicit language and/or opinion.
- Sensitive issues. The content of the app may relate to crime, violence, disasters or social problems. These may cause stress, anxiety or fear in a child.
Overconsumption
- Distraction and less concentration. Presence of news all the time can lead to child forgetting about school work, homework or any other tasks that need to be accomplished.
- Sleep disturbances. Several reports state that too much intake of news before going to bed affects the quality of sleep.
- Anxiety and stress. Over time, Children are likely to develop high levels of anxiety and stress. In case they are exposed to negative news every now and then.
Privacy concerns
- Data collection. News apps might collect information from its users, which could be misused or shared without authorization.
- Targeted advertising. It’s also possible that children are targeted based on the history of sites they visit and the topics they are interested in.
Not child oriented
- Cyberbullying or cyber harassment. Although not as frequently as in social networks, children can become victims of cyberbullying or harassment related to news.
- Lack of emphasis on age appropriate materials. By spending time on adult news, a child might lose engagement with things that help him or her grow. Such as the educational applications or art projects.
These risks only explain why parental guidance is very important. This is especially whenever one is granting children permission to use the Fort Worth Star-Telegram app.
Teaching kids to consume news responsibly and using Fort Worth Star-Telegram app safely
Exposing children to local news using the Fort Worth Star-Telegram app at an appropriate age has the following advantages. It can help them.
- Learn what is going on around them. It becomes easier for children to understand events, issues and people within their neighborhood if they are exposed to such knowledge.
- Create a problem solving mentality. The mere interaction with news, in even the simplest methods helps children to question, analyze and make their own conclusions.
- Become informed citizens. Local news will help children assume responsibility and become responsible citizens of their country.
However, making sure that children read and interpret news appropriately is something important. It helps them gain useful insights without becoming overburdened.
Parents can support their children by
– Offering sources that are suitable for your children’s age.
Look for apps and sections of newspapers which are meant for kids like the kids section of the fortworthstarTelegram app.
– Discuss news together.
Discuss the news that children find in newspapers or on the internet by questioning them in order to make them think critically.
– Practice how to consume news correctly and fairly.
Teach children how to analyze information, look for prejudice and understand the difference between fact and an opinion.
– Encourage healthy skepticism.
Teach children not everything seen or heard is true or genuine and needs to be cross checked.
Parents can also make use of a parental control tool like the FlashGet Kids to ensure that their children using the Fort Worth Star-Telegram app are safe.
Its screen time feature lets you control how much time your kid can use specific apps on their phone, including the Fort Worth Star-Telegram app. This lets them consume news in moderation. The screen mirroring feature allows you to monitor the content your kid consumes on their phones in real-time. You can see if they are watching child-unfriendly news and take necessary actions to protect them from the potential negative effects.
FlashGet Kids also has an alert feature that lets you know what kind of news your kid consumes. You can change the settings of the Fort Worth Telegram app so your kids can only receive child-friendly content.
With the Usage report feature, FlashGet Kids lets you know how much time and how often your kid uses the Fortworth Telegram app daily and weekly. This insight can help you know your kid’s habits, including if they overuse the app.
Conclusion
Supervising your child’s usage or the Fort Worth Star-Telegram app is best handled in moderation whilst letting your child be responsible.
Combining FlashGet Kids’ comprehensive protection tools with the protection features available in the app. Parents can nurture their children in a protective and informative news environment.
Bear in mind that it is not only about limiting kids’ exposure to local journalism. But about raising good young citizens instead.
