Parental Controls

Sichuun is very happy to have brought some serious Internet to the region – arguably the best Internet access in Canada. With it, kids can learn computer languages, create websites, build robots, etc. Yes, they can also watch movies & videos, play games, and stay in touch with friends & family on social media. And then there is an abundance of not-so-nice stuff they can see and do as well. Unfortunately, some of these can lead to a lot of trouble if younger users are not monitored. There are lots of articles written about Parental Controls, so the purpose of this post is to introduce a few ideas, and then let you read more about them and come up with a plan that works for your family.

There are a few important things you can do to keep your kids safe online:

Have discussions with kids about the Internet, what they’re doing on it, what dangers exist, how they can use it safely, what is acceptable and not acceptable, etc.
Set strong privacy settings in applications, games, and social networking sites your kids use, and limit friends lists to people you know personally.
Restrict usage to common areas in the home, where you can supervise what they are doing.
Limit the amount of time your kids can use the various screens they have access to.
Use Parental Control software tools to restrict what, when and how your kids can do with the various computers, phones, tablets, console games, and other connected devices they have access to.

There are tons of software options for Parental Controls, incorporating features such as:

Activity tracking
Content blocking & filtering
Manage access to games and apps
Setting specific time limits
Location tracking
Turn off the Internet

Since there are too many options to list them all, here are a few lists and rankings to help you choose the best options for your family:

Remember, you will need a solution that addresses all of the devices that can access the Internet, including:

Computers & laptops
Phones
Tablets
Console games (e.g. Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo)

The Internet is an amazing tool that enables users to see and learn about literally ANYTHING. Setting up a safe environment for kids to use this resource will help protect them from surprising, questionable, and potentially dangerous situations. If you would like to discuss Internet safety and/or options to protect our children, please give us a call. Sichuun can help with setting up software solutions, ensuring parental controls on apps are being used, etc. Also, the following articles talk about Parental Controls and Safe Internet Usage for Children. In upcoming posts, we will discuss some of these concerns in greater depth. ARTICLES: