How good is your parental control when it comes to your kid’s network exposure?
We have all seen a Parental Control prompt pop up here and there. Mostly, on our cable television or when watching a YouTube video. Many video or tv games, with age restrictions are very good at asking you to verify the age of the player.
But, are we, as parents, really applying parental control across all platforms? Are we very sure our kids won’t be subjected to grooming? We can sit our kids down and educate them on possible red flags they need to look out for, but kids will be kids, and leaving them to manage this isn’t wise.
There is a simpler way to ensure your kids are not exposed to anything that is above their age category. One can ensure all areas are controlled, and by all areas, we mean:
- Device levels – you set parameters on the actual device, so that no one can bypass certain protocols on that device
- Network levels – whether for a household or a business, one can manipulate the network settings so that the router or server buffers what and where you want it to buffer
- Application levels – setting levels on a particular platform or application is simple enough. Popular applications where this can be set are Facebook, YouTube, Google, and any platform where your kids are exposed
What does Parental Control Software actually do?
Depending on how you set up the parental control software, there are a number of different areas it can cover:
- Time control
This is where you set the time of day or night you want your kids to be able to access the internet or be online
In addition, you can set time limits, as to how long they can be online at any given time.
- Block and Filter certain content
This can be a little tricky, as those that want their product, service, or content accessed, can come up with odd words and keywords, that will still pop up as unsavoury. But, setting the parameters so that certain content, such as pornography, sex, nudity, violence, language, and other genre’s, can’t be accessed, is a good start.
- Sharing Limitations
Restricting what data is shared is also a great control to set in place. Kids are, by nature, social, and they will, at some time, want to share. It is in this sharing that they can get themselves into trouble. So, rather set all devices, platforms, and networks to block them sharing their personal information, and that of others. This way those online predators cannot link up with them.
- Different Profile Settings
It can become tedious to be over-riding controls when it is you or the other parent wanting to log in and do your thing online. So, set it up that there are different log ins for each person using that device or those platforms.
So, what Parental Control Software can I use?
As mentioned, most devices or applications, in particular IOS devices, come with a parental control facility, and it is best to set it up from the onset. But, should you want to be super cautious, consider a ESET Parental Control software. ESET is designed to protect your Android devices and keep your kids safe.
A few unique features offered are:
- Web Guard – a filtering feature
- Application Guard – you set it up to decide which apps your kids can access or not
- Child Locator – a great feature allowing you to see where your child’s devices are at any given moment
- Parental Messaging – it will send priority messages to you children, which they must acknowledge
