The use of technology is growing at an incomparably faster rate.
Although it’s making all sorts of information available on finger tips but
shockingly, establishing a very dangerous landscape via internet!
This era is
surrounded by gadgets and devices and internet. Everything has become virtual.
It has eased many complex things for us. Like every other source, it has
advantages as well as disadvantages. The most threatening disadvantage of
internet is parents losing control over kids because of the use of internet.
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| image:pixabay.com/en/people-kid-baby-child-boy-toddler-2564425 |
Why you need to use parental controls?
Internet has become a
necessity for people, in offices, educational institutes as well as houses. It
has been welcomed ever since for leading humans into the information age, but
gradually disclosed another side by providing illicit content, and increased
criminal activities.
Every age group is
using it with a much higher comfort level, especially children. Parenting is a
serious responsibility. Parents prioritize their child’s security, many even
want to limit the access to such devices. But if your kid has a well-developed
interest with internet devices, then it may become impossible. However, some
steps can definitely help you regulate the content accessible to your child.
Children’s frequent use of internet may cause health issues for them.
Considering internet
devices as a necessity, it is important that we prepare our children for a
digital future. That can initially be done by coaching them about the
etiquettes of using internet. They are pretty similar to how we teach them to
behave and interact in public, with a major focus on not to talk to strangers.
This can be possible if they are taught to make right decisions.
Related source: Cyberbullying Guide for Parents
Healthy habits that
encourage safe internet use:
1. Guide children about the security
concerns you have regarding their internet use including cyberbullying,
scamming, hackers etc. This will alert children about the dangers of using the
internet devices
2. Keep a positive relationship with
your child plays an essential role, children can themselves share whom they are
communicating with
3. Set rules and discuss with your kids
how and when to use the internet devices like setting ‘no mobile during dinner
time’ or ‘no mobile in bed’. Such rules can be very effective
4. Be consistent in being strict. Make
sure you implement rules and ensure all kids follow it regularly like if you
allow kids to use device for a certain time limit, make sure you take it back
at the exact time, without any arguments
5. If children require devices for
educational use, monitor there activities and make sure they are not
multitasking by spending time on social media, chatting or playing games
6. Test your kids for
‘self-regulation’, by observing how they behave when no parental controls are
enforced. Revise rules and precautions from time to time
Types of Parental Control apps and How
they work
Since the concerns
arising daily including stories of cyberbullying
and hacking, technological solutionsmust be utilized by using parental controls
to protect your child while they are using internet. There are various types of
parental controls available now, varying for each device. Some devices have
exclusive settings to provide standard options for parental control, and some paid
applications have demonstrated positive results. Although some applications can
be expensive and complicated to use, they provide in-depth features to monitor
your child’s activities.
Using parental
control for maximum benefit is a process. Parental control software and
applications help you manage screen time, block inappropriate content and
monitor your child’s behavior online.
There are several
approaches to strategize your parental control efforts:
1. Control the time children spend
online:
This
feature helps you control how much time your child spends on internet, on a
particular device or using a specific application and surely you can decide how
much time your child should spend on internet device. Devices shut-down after
the set time
2. Monitor location of your children:
By using
GPS and other tools, you can monitor where your child is and also get notified
if they move out of the set boundaries so you can take immediate steps to get
in touch with them
3. Content Filters:
Applying
content filters will control your child’s access to inappropriate content.
Various applications including YouTube and Google have the options to activate
them free of cost
4. Content Monitoring & Reporting:
This
feature helps you monitor what your children are accessing, and also provides
weekly reports
Are parental control apps secure?
Yes, they are secure.
The technical teams surely put their best efforts to make sure their
applications are secure along with being user-friendly.
Balance is the key,
you should must maintain balance in relying on these applications and manually
monitoring your children. However, while selecting which application would be
more appropriate, take the following points into consideration:
1. It should be cost-effective; you
don’t need to go beyond your budget
2. It should provide cross-platform
support
3. It should fulfill multiple purposes
like time scheduling for internet usage and activity tracking
4. It should provide location tracking
5. It should be easy to manage
Recommended Parental Control Software
There are two
applications that I consider highly recommendable:
1. Kaspersky Safe Kid:
This feature comes with Kaspersky Total Security. It will help you vigilantly manage how your
child is using the device by monitoring incoming & outgoing texts and
calls. It’s real-time location tracking and notifications will not only track
your child’s location but also alert you promptly. It is also featured in pcmag’s list of ‘Best Parental
Control Apps’
2. Bit-defender Parental Advisory:
It will make browsing much safer for your
children by keeping illicit content away. It focuses on your child’s
communication by ensuring only trusted contacts are contacting and immediately
blocking incoming calls that are without Caller ID. It will also monitor and
track activities on Windows, macOS, Android & iOS.
Parenting
Control Options in devices:
Most devices have
their parental control settings. Although they are free but can sometimes be
time consuming to apply or may not provide complete set of features. Apple’s
applications are relatively safer as its applications are strictly checked
before they are added into application store.
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