What Is Parental Control & What Is It For?

 What Is Parental Control & What Is It For?

 

 

New technologies are implanted in life. But on the Internet there are many dangers. For this reason, it is important - especially at the beginning - to protect your children from the dangers of the Web. One of the best tools is parental control, which allows you to control the time of use or where your child enters. We leave you seven applications or tools to understand and apply parental control.

• What is parental control?

Parental control is a tool that allows parents to monitor and adjust the time of use and content that their children have access to in their digital life. More than 40% of children between 9 and 10 years old use their mobile, according to a study by the National Cybersecurity Institute (INCIBE). The percentage grows according to the age range. Between 11 and 12 years it already reaches 71%; from 13 to 14 it reaches 91% and in young people from 15 to 17 years old it shoots up to 97%.

• What is parental control for?

According to this same study, 33% of children have had negative experiences on the Internet. There is a clear upward trend in recent years, where bad experiences on the Internet tripled compared to 2010. Currently, access to the Internet is increasing due to the many options available to minors to connect. Parental control is used to:

- Monitor: Record online activity, analyse where it enters and what your child sees. And warn if you access a website that is not recommended.

- Avoid contact with strangers: 40% of minors have had contact on the Internet with people they did not know face to face, according to INCIBE. With parental control you can avoid possible problems of grooming, cyberbullying or sexting

- Limit the time of use and screen: You can program how long your child can be connected, or times of on and off.

- Reduces the possibility of children entering an inappropriate site: The tools apply access filters to different content websites that are sensitive for early ages. As well as providing personal data.

The ideal is to apply Parental Control when your child is starting in the technological world, when he still does not have autonomy. This must be gradual and we have to accompany children in their digital growth, as the writer Janell B. Hofmann said.

• Seven applications for parental control of minors on the Internet

1- Qustodio

Qustodio is one of the most recommended applications. Available on mobiles and computers, it has a free version and a paid version. It has functions to control the connection time, apply filters on content or words and restrict access to certain websites.  

2- Parental control in IOS

If you are an Apple user, parental control tools are integrated into your mobile or tablet. To prevent your child from misusing their device, or to limit the time of use, just go to Settings, General and select Restrictions.  

3- Windows Live Family Safety

Windows devices, like Apple's, come with parental control tools by default. Known as Windows Live Family Safety, it allows you to limit the time of use or restrict access to certain websites. You only need to log in with your user account and activate the options that you consider appropriate. 

4- Google Family Link

It is Google's free tool specially designed for mobiles. It allows you to establish basic digital rules for its growth, such as time limits, activity control and geolocation.  5- Kids Place on Android

Perhaps the application with a simpler development. It is available for Android devices and has a million downloads. It is the ideal tool if your child is starting with technology. It is very easy to use and only allows your child to access the applications that you have previously approved. It allows a large number of functions in its free mode and includes some other Premium that can be purchased through the application.

6- Secure Kids for Android

Secure Kids is one of the most complete tools on the market. It is only available on Android and has a free and a paid version, its free version is complete and includes several interesting functions. The application works on smartphones or tablets and allows you to geolocate your child, restrict access to certain websites, filter content and words, block calls on the device, etc. 

 

7- Parental Click

Parental Click is a paid application. It costs 14 euros a year and the proceeds go to the ANAR Foundation, which focuses on helping children and adolescents at risk, with a special focus on new technologies and their use. With this parental control tool you can block access to websites or content, limit the time of use and install a help button for your child in case they are experiencing an unpleasant situation at any time.