IMPORTANCE OF PARENTAL CONTROL

There is a new generation of tech-savvy kids. Younger people use tablets and teens use instant messages to communicate. Most educational institutions use computers and tablets as part of their curriculum. Today, parents allow their children and teenagers to use a smartphone because it is one of the best ways to stay in touch with them. Parents also feel reassured knowing where their children are and learning more about their activities.

As a parent, you will be faced with a challenge: you have to weigh the pros and cons of giving your child digital freedom, but also clearly set limits. Many understand that limiting their access to the Internet can have an effect on their ability to learn and develop. Yet it also means exposing your children to threats and online information that may be beyond their comprehension.

That's why installing reliable security software that includes parental controls on all devices can help parents and their children navigate the digital world around them. Just like you teach your kids to lock all doors when they're home alone, they also need to learn how to use a security system that helps protect their digital activities on their devices.

There are many reasons to buy and install parental controls on all of your child's devices. Here are ten:

1. Parental controls help monitor your children's devices

As your kids learn how to be good citizens of the digital world and make friends online, you can walk with them by keeping an eye on their iPad, iPhone, and other devices. Visit your favorite app store for options to better protect your child online. Parental control apps can help you monitor things like email messages, social media profiles, text messages, and other mobile features.

These types of apps can help you when you are particularly concerned about problematic conversations or activities. For example, some apps warn you when they detect specific words, such as “drugs”. To allow your children to be independent knowing that there are limits, it is best to let them know when monitoring their devices, especially since you will need certain information, including their account information, including their passwords, to benefit from certain functions.

2. Manage the results your kids see on search engines

Search engines have revolutionized information retrieval methods, even though they represent a big problem for parents: access to endless content that may be inappropriate for some children, depending on their age and stage of development. Parental controls, help you block adult content and explicit images, videos and websites from search results.

Depending on the program, you may need to update your operating system to the latest version and sign in using custom user profiles. Let your kids know when you use these filters and take the time to talk to them about inappropriate and age-appropriate content. They should know they can come talk to you or a trusted adult whenever they need to.

3. Parental controls may block some features of games your children can access.

Today's game consoles come with Internet access that allows your kids to browse the web, make in-app purchases, and chat with other gamers online. These features can make games more fun, but you may not want your child to use account-linked credit cards or even talk to strangers.

Parental Controls allow you to set up user profiles with which your children can only access certain features or which allow you to monitor what they do when they play.

4. Parental controls can help you locate your children

GPS apps can help all family members locate each other. This information helps you know your children are safe (and that they are where they are supposed to be) and also helps you find them in an emergency.

Typically, your phones must be turned on for the GPS tracking feature to work. It is still recommended that you talk to your children about the safety measures to be observed. Ask them to avoid tagging or posting their location on social media, in case strangers can access this information, and help them configure privacy settings.

5. Parental Controls Help Build Good Cybersecurity Habits

Cybercrime is a multibillion dollar industry and cybercriminals often take advantage of our bad cybersecurity habits.

A child's brain is constantly developing and learning is ongoing. His thirst for learning can lead him to involuntarily engage in risky online practices, such as giving too much personal information to a stranger, such as the name of his school or his date of birth. This can jeopardize his own safety, as well as that of others.

6. Parental controls can set online screen time limits

Time spent on a screen can be addictive for some users. He can "hypnotize" an adult to the point of spending hours in front of a device. And what goes around doesn't matter anymore. Compared to an adult, a child may have even more difficulty giving up on their favorite show or game.

For children, excessive screen time can negatively affect posture and eyesight, disrupt sleep, stop physical activity, or reduce attention span. Parents should try to implement a healthy lifestyle by limiting screen time for their children and for themselves.

Parental controls can help set limits by setting maximum usage times depending on the types of media used by children. Set up device-free hours for the whole family, and offer fun activities like walking, driving, or family play.

7. Parental controls can help defend your child's digital reputation

Children sometimes flood social networks with posts and photos from their weekends and holidays. Most of these innocent posts go unnoticed. However, a simple Internet search often gives a quick glimpse into an individual's life, via their online publications.

Many higher education institutions and businesses inspect public social media pages for information about their potential candidates. These organizations could decide whether to accept or hire someone based on the information they find.

Remember to protect your children's social media accounts by setting their security and privacy settings. The majority of sites allow you to set the level of confidentiality of your posts, and if this is not the case, they generally offer the possibility of making an account private.

8. Parental Controls Can Help Teach the Importance of Safeguards

Children sometimes use the Internet for homework and to write school projects. It is very important to back up their data in a safe and reliable place to prevent data loss.

Teach your children about the importance of saving and storing their data safely. Many free programs on the Internet offer storage services. But some of them could be infected with malware and viruses.

Children also keep a wealth of precious memories in the form of photos, videos, text messages and e-mail messages. Backing up these files is essential. Smartphones break, fall in water, get lost or stolen, or simply reach the end of their life. Make sure you protect the digital memories they contain with a secure backup.

9. Parental Controls Can Teach Digital Manners

For children, making the right decision is a cognitive skill that positive education techniques help develop. Teach your kids to use the same good online manners that you would like them to adopt in everyday life. Teach them the importance of exemplary behavior, both offline and online.

Explain to young people the consequences of cyberbullying and unethical hacking. Tell them that there are laws that protect the victims of these crimes.

10. Parental controls must be customizable

Blocking content, locating and setting screen time limits can be useful for the whole family. However, not all family members need this level of control, or at least not all of the time.

Numerous parental control features allow you to set up different profiles so that each family member can access a level of online content that suits them.