Many parents face the nagging of their children to get a smartphone. Given the open nature of the Internet and the many dangers a child can face once he owns a smartphone, parents often feel worried and they have every right to be. This article will provide you with more information on the parental controls iPhone offers. The iPhone has a variety of parental controls that can help you monitor what your kids are doing or seeing.
|SEE ALSO: The Threats of Mobile Monitor Apps|
Restrict Your Child’s Internet Usage
With any of the electronic devices that kids are using nowadays, parents should control what kind of websites their kids are able to visit. Every parent should figure out how to restrict his children’s Internet usage, for the following reasons.
– Phishing scams: Some websites that children visit claim to be kid friendly, when, in reality, they are just websites looking to extract information from the children. Parents should block these phishing websites to ensure that their kids are not sharing way too much personal information. If a child is sharing personal information for school purposes, an adult should be nearby to keep an eye on the whole process.
– Pornographic websites: These websites are horrible and expose children to content that they are not supposed to see, so it is very important for parents to block such websites.
– Gaming websites: Many online gaming websites urge children to buy games. If parents are not careful, their children may easily end up buying products that they do not need.
– Social networking websites: Although these websites offer a great way for kids to connect with other people, they also pose a great source of risk. Kids may get friend requests from people they may not know, and the intentions of these people are never known. It’s important to teach kids to only accept friend requests from people they know.
Parents may want to use computer applications that help them in blocking certain websites for a given period of time. For example, gaming websites should be blocked when the child is supposed to be doing homework.
Control Who Your Child Messages
Smartphones have made it easier for children to text message whomever they want. Parents should be concerned when their kids are texting all the time, because they may be sexing other people. The iPhone offers parental controls that restrict who your kids can talk to.
– Other parental controls iPhone offers include controlling the number of times a number can be dialled and what numbers can be dialled. Through this feature, a parent can make sure his kids are not contacting someone they are not supposed to be calling. The same type of restriction can be applied to texting so that kids do not text someone they are not supposed to message.
Control the Apps Your Child Downloads
The best thing about smartphones is the seemingly never-ending choice of applications you can download. Kids love that part too. However, a child should not be allowed to download any application he wants. One of the parental controls iPhone offers is the ability to control what kind of applications your child downloads. This is important for the following reasons:
– Some applications cost money, which is not something kids pay attention to. As a parent, you may find yourself paying a lot of money for downloads your kids were not supposed to make in the first place.
– Some applications also track your child’s location to help him find his friends. This is unsafe for your child as he may be tracked by stalkers and child kidnappers.
Control What Your Child Watches on His Phone
When a child watches TV at home, you can always tell what he is watching and determine whether or not it’s appropriate for his age. However, when your child uses a smartphone or tablet, they will watch whatever they want to watch, with little or no parental supervision. There are certain measures that you can follow to block channels on your child’s smartphone.
Completely Monitor Your Child’s iPhone
Although this may sound a bit extreme, parents who really fear for their children’s well-being may want to set up a password for the entire phone. This will guarantee that your child will not do something he is not supposed to do. Only the parents can unlock the device and should give their approval before the child uses the phone. However, it should be noted that when the device is unlocked, your child will have unlimited access to everything available on the phone, including all applications and the Internet.
In addition, this will limit your child’s ability to use the phone in case of an emergency. In difficult situations, a child may need access to the phone to ask for help. Parents should be aware of this before they completely lock their children’s access to their phones.
In today’s world, it’s very important to monitor a child’s use of technology. That’s why it is very important for parents to keep themselves properly informed of the parental controls iPhone and other smartphones offer. Do not prevent your child from getting a phone because you are scared for his well-being, rather take the necessary measures to keep him protected.