{"id":10195,"date":"2019-07-08T09:00:29","date_gmt":"2019-07-08T08:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/screentimelabs.com\/?p=10195"},"modified":"2022-03-18T05:00:45","modified_gmt":"2022-03-18T05:00:45","slug":"considering-parental-control-software","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/screentimelabs.com\/blog\/considering-parental-control-software\/","title":{"rendered":"Considering Parental Control Software Doesn\u2019t Make You a Bad Parent"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every parent faces a difficult balancing act when it comes to allowing freedom and decision making, while also being rightly concerned about their child\u2019s safety. It is difficult not to become that stereotypical overbearing parent<\/strong>. This is where parental control software<\/a> can help mediate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We all want our children to grow into responsible adults<\/strong>, able to make judgements and to assess situations on their own. To accomplish this, a certain level of freedom needs to be granted in order to allow them to learn from mistakes … with some advice and preassigned rules of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, with the increasingly early access to the internet and everything it contains, the innocence of children needs protecting<\/strong>. It isn\u2019t just that feeling of needing to be in control as a parent, but more of a necessity to protect<\/a> innocent minds (or at least relatively innocent) from what the web contains and connects with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As children start to know more about mobile technology than parents<\/strong>, they also learn the \u2018not so good\u2019 approaches from their friends and online. Processes such as bypassing the school firewall, or installing games and applications that were blocked by the app store (for their content, malware, or other reasons).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why parents need to take back some control<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


What are the Benefits of Parental Control Software?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n


Parental control<\/a> is a big decision that parents need to make nowadays. So, let\u2019s take a look at an overview of the benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Internet Access Restrictions <\/strong>– Allowing parents to prevent or limit access to the sites that they deem inappropriate.<\/li>
  2. Monitor Usage<\/strong> – See exactly what is used, including getting reports on websites browsed, frequent apps and more.<\/li>
  3. Block Apps<\/strong> – Allowing parents to block the use of or installation of certain apps.<\/li>
  4. Tracking for Safety <\/strong>– Although your child might not like this one, most parents LOVE the idea of being able to track the location of their little bundle of joy. <\/li>
  5. Screen Time Restrictions<\/strong> – Let\u2019s be honest, most adults could also do with some screen time limits<\/a>. However, for kids, it is vital for their overall development.<\/li>
  6. Set Tasks <\/strong>– Such as using educational software for a period of time, family and childhood activities<\/a>, chores, or  time to perform homework duties. These tasks can be combined with rewards to make them more fun.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    After reading the above, you are likely feeling a lot better about choosing this approach to giving your child their own mobile<\/strong>, but with some control retained. However, let\u2019s go over some of these points in more detail, as there certainly is more to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    Internet Usage Monitoring<\/h3>\n\n\n\n


    The idea of restricting access to the internet and recording activities could feel quite intrusive<\/strong> to both the parent and the child. However, the internet can be a dangerous place. It is also easy to end up in \u2018not so nice\u2019 places without intentionally wanting to go there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sometimes curiosity or the recommendations<\/em> of friends lead children to finding websites that their parents would be horrified to know about. It can also happen by accidentally clicking adverts or links (not all websites are mobile friendly).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Determining that it was an accident, rather than an intentional visit can lead to a whole different conversation and open communication about the internet and its dangers<\/strong>. Of course, filtering access in the first place can completely prevent accidental access and awkward conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is just the content side, it doesn\u2019t even touch on internet predators that hang out in chat apps and forums, trying to persuade young people<\/strong> to go to certain sites, send photos, or even meet up in person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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