Internet Safety- Parental Controls
What are parental controls?
Parental controls are tools that allow parents to manage their children's Internet use. There are many types, but most include functions such as website and content filters or time management in front of the screen, among many others.
Some of your child's favourite devices, apps, and websites have built-in parental controls, but it's important to know what you can do to decide if you need a more secure solution. But first of all, it is advisable to assess your child's age and level of maturity to help you decide what you should or should not access.
Why is Internet safety important for children?
When it comes to the safety of your children, you may be wondering if it is a good idea to even let them connect to the Internet. But the statistics are there: According to a study by the Pew Research Center , children ages eight to twelve spend about six hours online every day, while teens spend an average of nine hours on the Internet each day. And even if you restrict access at home, kids are sure to spend time online from school or at their friends' house.
Since your child has many ways to access the Internet, it is important to ask yourself the following questions before helping you safely navigate today's interconnected world.
At what age should a child have access to the Internet?
Before continuing, assess whether your child is ready to go online. There is no magic number to know at what age your child will be ready to use the Internet, but according to the Child Trends research centre , 41% of children between 3 and 5 years old and 57% of children between 6 and 11 years old They use the Internet at home. And even if you limit access at home, they will likely start connecting at school.
But the fact that your child can access the Internet does not mean that they should access all its contents. It is important to research which apps and websites are appropriate for their age to determine when your child may be ready to use them and to assess whether they are mature enough to do so.
Luckily, many websites and apps, especially social media, have age restrictions that can help you navigate. Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and YouTube require users to be at least 13 years old. But it's just guidelines - it's up to you as the parent to determine if your 13-year-old is ready to access these apps.
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If you decide that your child is ready to set up accounts and apps, or to have a phone or device of their own, there are a few ways to help stay protected.
How do I protect my child on the Internet?
Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, children can accidentally stumble upon dangerous websites and content. For that reason, it's a good idea to set up child safety measures with some free tools on some of your child's favourite devices, apps, and websites.
· iPhone parental controls: restrict certain content and apps, and set screen time limits. If your child has their own iPhone, add your child's device to their "family" and set the phone usage time. From there, even if you share a device, you can configure various controls.
· Google Family Link (for Android devices): Set screen time limits and controls remotely, from your device. To get started, search for Google Family Link on Google Play.
· YouTube Restricted Mode: Block adult content. On any YouTube page, click on your profile picture in the upper right corner. Go to the bottom of the drop-down menu and click "Restricted Mode" to enable or disable this feature.
· Google Safe Search: Filter sexually explicit content in Google search results. Check the search settings to configure or enable it for all users under 13 through the Google Family Link app.
· Social media privacy settings: Keep your child's activity and information restricted to friends only, and control who can follow you. Check your child's account settings on social media to define who can find them.
These tools will not block all malicious websites on the Internet, so you may need to consider an additional parental control solution to strengthen your children's digital safety.
Are parental controls effective?
If you ask yourself this question, you should know that you are not alone. According to a 2019 study conducted by the Pew Research Center , 52% of parents use parental controls to restrict access to certain websites.
And there's good reason for it: When these controls are coupled with parental guidance, they can help encourage healthy habits in your child and help protect your home network and devices. Parental controls can not only limit screen time and restrict explicit content, but also help prevent cybercrime and data theft by keeping your child away from dangerous behaviours that can lead to security breaches .
That's why it's a great idea to consider combining your parental control and computer security apps so that they can work together to keep you and your family safe from the dangers of the Internet. McAfee ® Total Protection comes with McAfee ® Safe Family , a tool that gives you many of the parental control features we've discussed here, as well as award-winning antivirus to help protect your network and home devices.
But even reinforcing their protection at home, at some point your child will connect, perhaps with one of their friends, from other devices or networks that do not have defined parental controls. That's where education comes in.
How do I teach my child about Internet safety?
The secret to success in raising your children in the digital age is to be open when you talk to them and take the time to give them essential Internet safety tips, like these basic rules that we indicate below:
· Do not give your personal information on the Internet, such as your name, address or telephone number, without first talking to your parents.
· Don't share your passwords with anyone, not even your friends.
· Don't say anything online that you wouldn't say in person, and if you receive malicious messages or comments, tell your parents.
· Don't upload photos or download files without talking to their parents.
· Do not talk to anyone on the Internet that you do not know and do not meet anyone in person that you have met on the Internet.
· If you find something on the Internet that makes you feel uncomfortable, don't hide it. Talk to your parents about how you found it, how you can avoid it in the future, and ask them any questions you may have about the content.
In some cases, your children may know more about the Internet than you do, so it is important to keep the lines of communication open. The more open you are, the more willing they are to talk about their lives online and the easier it will be for you to install good habits in them.
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