Kids’ obsession with the internet and social mediais increasing day by day, thanks to advanced technology. The digital age has introduced them to several technological devices that connect them to the internet. The internet helps them do lots of things such as completing homework, playing games, streaming movies and TV shows, chatting with friends, browsing social media feeds, etc.
Given that kids are dependent on technology to a larger extent, it becomes next to impossible to separate them from the world of the internet and social media. It would be like keeping them as prisoners and we already know that is impossible.
We are also aware of the dark side of the internet. All sorts of threats are lurking on the internet that can pose a serious threat to youngsters. It goes without saying that the internet is full of inappropriate and dangerous content that your kids need to stay away from. Unknowingly, kids can stumble upon adult content. Thanks to parental control software, we can now filter and block web content that deems unsuitable for our kids.
Certainly, technology has made it quite easy for kids to look out for or accidentally come across inappropriate content on the internet. Since it’s almost impossible to be around kids all the time and watch their online actions, it is better to get your hands on a solution that lets you monitor your kids’ online activities remotely.
Kids and The Use of The Internet
If you think you can protect your kids from adult content by asking them not to open unknown and untrusted sites or not tobrowse the internet at all then you are probably wrong. You may stop your kid from browsing the internet at home to some extent but how can you prevent them from using it at their school or their friend’s place?
All schools are using internet services now. Kids require the internet to finish school homework, to get more information about a particular subject and for a whole lot of other reasons. They can also seek harmless entertainment on the internet in the form of young adult TV shows and cartoons. It has been observed that a kid’s access to the internet helps in the development of their mental growth and enhances their knowledge and vision.
However, we should not forget that there is a very thin line between access to harmful and harmless content on the internet. It is likely for your kid to search for a phrase or word on their web browser and stumble upon a harmful link that leads them to adult content. One wrong click on the internet can lead them to the world of pornography and this is what we need to protect our kids from.
Internet Threats for Our Kids
When it comes to keeping your kids safe from adult content on the internet, the concept of internet filtering management steps in. Parental controls can be used to block and filter web content that you deem unsuitable for your kids.
Before we discuss parental internet filtering in detail, it is important to know what sort of threats our kids can face on the internet.Knowing these threats, you will understand why internet filtering is critical to keep your kids safe in the online world. Below are the threats that necessitate the use of internet filtering and parental controls:
- When kids unintentionally and accidentally click on harmful links on the internet that can download viruses or malware on their PC.
- When kids open sites featuring sexually explicit content such as porn or adult videos or access sites featuring illegal content such as pirated music, movies, and books.
- When kids, without realizing what they are getting themselves into, get in touch with people who can take advantage of them and cause them harm such as online predators.
- When kids open sites that ask them to enter their personal information or sensitive details such as email and social media accounts along with their passwords, credit card numbers, etc. This can lead to cybercrime such as identity theft.
- When parents have little or no control over the time their kids spend on the internet.
The above threats are the ones our kids can come across while using the internet without any parental supervision. If you do not want your kids to stumble upon inappropriate content that can disturb their mental and physical growth, then you need to start using parental controls equipped with internet filtering feature.
Internet Filtering Tips for Parents
Parental control software is a computer program or mobile application that is designed to manage, control, and monitor your kid’s internet usage. Once you install a parental control solution on your kid’s phone, you can control the time they spend on the internet including on a particular site and app.
You can also filter and block web content that you deem inappropriate for your kid’s age. Besides filtering and blocking web content, you can also apply the same settings to mobile apps that you do not want them to use.
Below, we have listed some important internet filtering tips for parents to help keep their kids away from inappropriate web content.
- Inform your kids about the threats that they can face on the internet and also explain how important it is for them to not share their personal information with anyone on any online platform.
- Find out what sort of sites your kids are visiting and what apps they are using on their phones.
- Keep track of their social media activity, including the conversations they are having with others on instant messaging apps.
- Keep a close watch on all files and programs they are downloading from the internet.
- Install the best parental control app and antivirus program that provides comprehensive and advanced parental internet filtering features.
- Block all sites and apps that you do not want your kids to use.
- Ensure that the parental control software does not log your personal information.
- Make sure that the internet filtering feature provided by the parental control software blocks your kid’s access to unsuitable sites and apps and prevents them from downloading files from unknown and untrusted sources.
