What is Parental Control Software
The Internet can be a great tool for a child. It opens up access to the world that few of us were offered as children. However, there are things on the Internet you don’t want your child to access such as inappropriate text and images. They can also inadvertently reveal personal information such as their name, address, phone number, or even your credit card number. So as wonderful as the Internet is, you must take steps to protect children while they are on it.The Internet is just like anything else in life – the first line of defense starts with you. Just as you teach children to look both ways before crossing the street, you need to teach children to be careful on the Internet. Guide them to sites they will enjoy that are age appropriate. Supervise and limit their time online and show them you are an expert with the computer.
However, as children grow, it is not possible to watch all their online activities. Teens may seek out pornographic material or join chat rooms where they can meet pedophiles just looking for an easy target.
Continuing to be involved in your child’s online activities as much as possible will help. Keep the computer in a community room to reduce the temptation to visit forbidden sites.
But even then, there are times when you may not be home to supervise their computer usage. However, there are tools parents can use to limit Internet use or monitor online activity.
Filtering software such as NetNanny blocks certain web sites that contain specific words such as “pornography.” The software usually provides a pre-built list of terms that you can then edit, adding or deleting words or phrases as needed. If the child tries to access a web site that contains that word or phrase, they will receive a message saying that page cannot be found.
Filters can also block instant messaging, newsgroups, email, or peer-to-peer (P2P) hosting. While filters are not foolproof, they do help ease the situation somewhat.
There is also software that can be installed on a computer that will record all activity made. Sites visited, emails received and sent, programs run – everything your child does will be recorded so you can later see exactly what is going on.
Some software will even restrict the times the Internet can be access. It can be scheduled to shut down at a certain time or after a certain amount of data has been downloaded from the Internet.
There is even software that will block your child from sending his or her name, address, phone number, or other such personal information online.
Some companies such as KidRocket and KidSplorer have designed web browsers specifically for children to use. It is easy for the child to use and easy for the parent to configure, but old children may figure out how to connect to Internet Explorer, which cannot be removed from the operating system.
It may take a little time and money to lock your computer down with parental control software, but it keep your children safe, isn’t it worth it?