When I grew up there was no Internet, my computer was a commodore 64 which wasn’t connected to anything … or anyone. In those days we had outdated encyclopedia sets at home (if we were lucky) or we went to the library to complete homework. There was no quick way to search; it was a manual process. Then along came the Internet, allowing us to connect with people in ways we never could have imagined. But like any good thing there are those who exploit it with ill intentions.
The Internet is a wonderful tool when the material is not filled with inappropriate content. If you want your children to be safe in the world of online media, you need to protect them from harm that is the darker side of technology. For all the freedom and access to information the Web provides, users must remember that it is also filled with inappropriate content and cyber predators who seek to fulfill their less-than-appropriate needs. My intent in writing this article is to help educate you on the tools and settings available to protect your children from the dark underbelly of society.
Over-blocking vs. under-blocking
When it comes to security settings, some security solutions can be too restrictive and block many sites you or your children want or need to see. An overly restrictive solution can be frustrating for you and your family if you have to unblock sites on a regular basis. On the other hand, if your security software does not have sophisticated Web filtering capabilities, it may not block enough inappropriate or dangerous content. As a result, your children may wander into (or intentionally find) the sites you don’t want them to see.
You need to find a happy medium between the two. It’s better to error on the side of over-blocking and unblock items as needed. This is more time consuming, however, it is well worth it.
Device Restrictions
Based on my children and their friends, the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad appear to be the most common devices. By utilizing the restrictions feature on these devices you can not only disable applications but also limit the content they consume.
Apple iOS Restriction Setup
To set up restrictions on an iOS device, begin by touching Settings > General > Restrictions> Set Restrictions to enabled and enter a passcode - one that is not shared with your children. In the settings you can turn restrictions on or off for the following programs: Safari, YouTubeCamera (also disables FaceTime), FaceTime, iTunes, Ping, installing apps, deleting apps, multi-player games in Game Center, adding friends in Game Center, and Location Services. I prefer to disable Location Services because I do not want anyone to be able to track where my child is at a given time. You can also enable or disable accounts such as Mail, Contacts, Calendars, iCloud, and Twitter.
Ratings are probably one of my favorite features. Ratings allow you to prevent access to specific content types based on their rating such as R, PG13, G, etc. or by content type such as music and podcasts, movies, TV shows, apps, and in-app purchases. To learn more about restrictions, type “iOS understanding restrictions” into the search engine of your choice.
Browser Tools
K9 Web Protection is an Internet filtering and parental control tool that you can download free from the App Store. I recommend disabling Safari (the standard iOS browser) and installing K9 to filter out unwanted content. K9 is offered by a very reputable company called Blue Coat and gives parents the ability to block by categories including pornography, illegal drugs, personals/dating, violence, hate, and racism. It will clean search results while filtering profanity and other inappropriate content as well. The best part is that it is tamper-resistant for more tech savvy kids. K9 works on both Windows and Mac devices.
Time Management
How much time do you feel is appropriate for your child to spend online each day? This is for you to decide. Once you’ve determined limits for your children, you can easily set the hours your children are allowed to be online as well as the number of hours permitted. This will help control middle-of-the-night Facebook sessions, and entire days wasted playing online games. This can be set using software or network tools such as K9, Network Magic (by Cisco), or Net Nanny. All are cost effective and simple to use.
Summary
You can’t put a price on protecting your children from the threats of the Internet. Even the best kids can be lured by online predators or exposed to content that is not appropriate for adults, let alone children. Please take this topic seriously. It’s OK to trust your children, just don’t trust everyone on the Internet.