PARENTAL CONTROL KEEPS CHILDREN AWAY FROM INTERNET NEGATIVITY

It is a topic that is still true. A child comes without an instruction manual. And if there is, it should currently have several volumes, one of them dedicated to the Internet. Or rather, to everything that must be avoided on the Internet. If we want to protect or educate our underage children. And here comes the parental control.

Whether you like it or not, the Internet has become a universal means of communication. An essential element to work, talk with your loved ones, have fun in your free time, learn and inform yourself. So whether or not you are familiar with the so-called network of networks, it is convenient to know what to avoid on the Internet. Or as the saying goes, extract the wheat from the chaff.

The Internet is a great opportunity for children and adolescents to socialize, learn, have fun, express themselves and, in general, take advantage of the benefits it offers. But like everything in life, you also have to take precautions.

Inappropriate content

The fact that there is everything on the Internet is a good thing on the one hand, but it implies that not all the content available on the Internet is suitable for certain ages. Hate content, eating disorders, violent, sexual content.

The list is extensive, and although as a general rule we would not look for certain content, a child's curiosity knows no limits. And at times, this can be a problem.

The main access to inappropriate content is the search engine, such as Google, Bing, Yahoo or DuckDuckGo. It is the most visited tool in the web browser and is usually integrated into voice assistants to answer any questions or concerns we ask ourselves. From the search engines we can have access to any content, not always suitable for certain ages.

The solution: parental control, which allows you to block specific websites and / or searches related to adult content.

Social media

Social networks have become one of the most demanded Internet services, both by adults and by children and adolescents. Precisely, minors seek to socialize at all levels, physically and virtually. Hence the success of YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram or WhatsApp.

Social networks have their benefits, such as meeting people from other parts of the planet or discovering other skills, tastes or activities. But it should be borne in mind that not all users of these social networks respect others, nor do they have good intentions.

Fortunately, social networks, under pressure from parents and guardians, have incorporated filters and parental control options to limit time and to improve the privacy of children's accounts.

No time for more

There is no golden rule. How much time is acceptable to dedicate to a certain activity? To what extent should we limit the time that minors spend in front of the computer or with the smartphone in their hands?

The key is in the whole. Or rather, if the time spent on one activity negatively affects the rest, it is advisable to set limits. Do you get enough sleep? Do you spend the necessary time studying and learning? Eat well?

We adults also have trouble balancing our schedules. But, as such, we must make certain decisions. The minor does not have to be able to make those decisions, he will do so over the years, as he matures. Meanwhile, we will have to be the ones who agree with them how much time they can dedicate to the Internet.

What's more, it is so much what adults and minors do on the Internet that it is convenient to separate the time that we necessarily dedicate (work or studies) from that dedicated in free time.

Games and applications, for everyone?

As with inappropriate content to avoid on the Internet, not all applications are for everyone. And this happens especially with games, especially those that are played online with or against other players.

Parental control allows you to block certain applications to prevent minors from accessing them. On mobile devices, this means limiting access to certain social networks or certain content apps such as Netflix or Spotify.

But more important is access to games. On the one hand, we have the social component of many of these games. Do we want our children to talk to strangers during an online game or do we prefer that they do so only with friends and acquaintances?

On the other hand, it is convenient to limit access to the micropayments that are made in many of these games. From a suit for a character to an object or aids for the game. It is convenient to educate children and adolescents about this type of strategies used by video game developers and that, when used badly, involve excessive spending of real money disguised as virtual money.

Systems to facilitate the task

The solution to all the problems that we have seen and many others to avoid on the Internet in order to protect and educate children and adolescents in our care, passes through communication. Talk and educate to make the child understand the good and the bad of what they will find on the Internet.

And the second solution, sometimes unavoidable, is through parental control. A solution that allows you to  configure limits and blocks  to avoid content or inappropriate practices on the Internet   at certain ages and to learn more about the habits of minors on the network of networks.