Making sure your children are protected online
Gregg Spiridellis of JibJab Media on teaching your kids the right way to search and play online
You may know JibJab Media from those "Elf Yourself" videos your co-workers sent around during the holidays, but founder Gregg Spiridellis is marketing his newest site to a much younger clientele.
Spiridellis and his brother, both fathers, wanted to create a safe world for kids online that could be a tool for parents.
"We looked at our kids and they're so adept at these devices and we said, if 'Sesame Street' were created in this world, what could it be?" Spiridellis told FoxNews.com.
The result was Storybots, a mobile app, website and more full of fun tools and games for kids -- including the ever popular insert-your-face-here videos.
But there's plenty for parents, too, like the "Beep or Boop" app -- which Spiridellis compares to a "gold-star chart" -- that allows parents to reward their kids for good behavior and punish them for bad.
"Parents tell us how this has changed their lives, like it has basically turned good behavior into a game for their kids and their family," Spiridellis said. "That's super gratifying for us as entrepreneurs and inventors of these products."
Along with Storybots, Spiridellis has plenty of other advice for parents to help keep their kids safe on the web. He suggests setting parental controls and testing out all games and apps before handing them over to your kids. He also warns of in-app purchases that could mean an unexpected and expensive bill.
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