Often that parents hear the sad stories played across the television news programs. A child is abducted or lured away from home using the Internet. New threats to children include social networking websites where kids are teased so much that some try to harm themselves as a direct result. It may seem like the best thing to do for your child is to power down the computer altogether, but this is not reasonable. With everything from MP3 players to netbooks having Internet access, it is hard to cut off all Internet activity. What is a parent to do when it is not feasible to turn off social network sites, online casino games, news blogs and other websites?
Technology does offer some benefits to parents looking for ways to install parental controls. Some of the earliest programs provided parents with the opportunity to restrict the types of websites young users could go to. Newer programs allow parents to track virtually all activity of the child online including the websites visited, the people the kid is chatting with, and the emails sent and received. It may feel like snooping, but just like watching over your child at the playground, it makes sense for parents to step back but to keep a watchful eye.
Technology offers software and hardware products you can use in your computers and through your wireless connections that minimize the risks to your children. Programming options will limit who the child can talk to without getting his or her parent’s permission first. Some programs allow the child to do what he or she wants to do, while keeping parents informed as to what those actions are. The level of technology you employ depends on your budget and your concerns. Simple things can help, too, such as moving the computer your child uses into a main part of the home to make it easy for you to see what he or she is doing. Educating children about Internet dangers is just as important as parental controls.