Everyone wants to keep their children safe from any harm they may encounter. Parents also have the ability to use Parental Control software to protect their children from online predators and websites or shows that are not age appropriate for them. With the Parental Control Software available, parents can set the guidelines for what they feel is safe for their children.
What exactly is parental control software and how does it work? There are different companies that make the software for parental control. There are times that our older children are alone at the computer, whether we are in another room or they are home alone, we need to ensure that they do not accidentally view any web content that is inappropriate for their age group. Most kids today have access to computers for homework or games, some are even schooled online, and the Internet is a resource that they use to find information for school or to play games.
As adults, we know that ads tend to pop up online when we are searching the web or on our favourite sites, however, children are too young to understand all of the dangers there can be when using the Internet. There are porn sites, and dangerous predators lurking through email accounts and on social networking sites.
Some children may believe some of the stories or lies they are told. It is for these reasons that we need to install Parental Control Software. This software will protect our children when all the lessons we teach fail in some aspect out of our control.
There are different levels of parental control software available for parents and guardians. The traditional or basic level will allow the parent to set which sites are acceptable and also limit the time spent online. The parent can set the computer for what time the child is allowed to use the Internet. Some parents may want to put additional security on the parental controls for the kids who are capable of disabling the controls.
The next level is the advanced series. This software allows the parent to set the ratings of the games that would be allowed to play. This software will also be able to monitor the instant messaging used and any online conversations. Parental controls can also be put into the home router to cover all computers and equipment in the home.
The family protection plan will save all data and allow parents to access any computer or device in the home. This is the best for a home that has multiple computers in use in the home. Safety is a big concern for everyone, and any hacker on one computer would have access to all computers, this can help prevent this.
The parental control software that is the best will control any content on any device, including game consoles. Many kids now are able to play video games online and this would prevent any dangerous predator behaviour when the parent is not there to monitor the conversation. Of course, there may be some frustration on the part of the youth involved, but with discussion, they should understand that the parent is only protecting them.
Parents also have access to Parental Control Software through their mobile phones. They can install applications that can help parents control what is accessed on cell phones through the router method. Some of these applications can even block the option of texting while driving.
There is Parental Control Software to be used for strictly social networking. This software will collect all data so that the parents can review every site, picture and message sent and received.
There is parental control software available that is basically just spyware. This software will allow the parent or guardian to monitor everything the children do. This software installs easily in stealth mode, monitors everything the child types, and the passwords and also has the ability to take screenshots without the child knowing.
Monitoring our children on the computer should be basic knowledge for all parents and guardians, but there are times when this is not possible. The best way to ensure the child’s safety when online is by using the Parental Control software available on the market today. Talking with our children only works so much and to an extent; we cannot control what others say to our children and the paedophiles and other dangerous people and sites know exactly how to lure a child into their web.
The price varies in all of these software options. Many are free and some are at very low cost. The free options allow you to set the times the child can be online, and also block websites by type. You are able to view what places your child has visited, configure separately for each child, and have a password protected icon for the adult. The free programs will allow you to block many sites by choice or URL.
The best options will allow for the same protection as the free programs, but also allow the parent or guardian to do it all and are easy to install. They have the ability to be routed through the router and most are invisible so that the children will not know it is running. There is also the ability to set separately for each user in the home and take regular screenshots of the page your children are on. The parent is able to set a time allotment for each user and block certain pages or all pages for a set amount of time.
All parents will likely respond that they are concerned with what their children do online, but half of them do not utilize parental control software. Many parents will only give routine lectures about the Internet and the dangers that are there. Some will be in the house as the children are online in other rooms, but seldom monitor what sites their children go visit. Many concerned parents believe that asking what their children are doing online is all they have to do. Then there are those that have Parental Control Software but do nothing to follow through on what sites their children visit.
As a society, it is more than important to teach our children to be wary of the different pages they visit online. They believe that all the social networking sites are safe and that no harm can come to them online. The facts of the matter speak loud to all of us. There are child predators out there, they know how to lure our children and make them believe that it is okay to do what they are told by these predators. Many of our youth do not understand how they become victims or create the opportunity for hackers and scam artists to get into the computer to get all personal information.
Ultimately, it is a combination of fully talking to our children and using the Parental Control software that is available to us. Speaking with the children depends on their age, our cultural attitudes and the amount of time that the parent spends actually monitoring where on the Internet their children visit. Being too cautious is always better than too much leniency. Our communication must always be open, honest and age appropriate.
The communication must include what is appropriate behaviour, what is allowed and what is not allowed. As parents, we must also remember that not everything our child does online is caught by even the best software, but using a combination of methods will allow our children to understand that certain behaviour is acceptable and certain sites are off limits for them. Protecting your entire home computer system through the router may be the easiest way to go, but expect to spend time setting the guidelines for each child and each device in your home. In the end, it will be time well spent.
Take the initial start and use parental control software, set time limits and access to only certain pages for each child. We can protect our children from the digital and technological predators by doing our part as parents, warning them about the ways they can be talked to and the lies and different scenarios that could be posed toward them, let them know that those are not true and that they should always speak to an adult when someone harasses them, stalks them, bullies them or sends threatening messages of any sort to them. Be aware of your children and their friends, even if it means spying on your children.
Our job as parents and guardians is to love and protect them, no matter the cost and the anger they may exhibit. As they grow older and more mature, they will come to understand all the precautions that you, as a parent took to save them from the unseemly in the world. They will appreciate all that you did to protect them and they will take those same cautionary measures with their children.