The internet is the hottest thing that appeals to children of all ages. Teens are especially interested in what the internet has to offer, but your youngest are no exception. Even though the internet is also called the informational highway, it is also the place where your children can get in trouble.
Sharing personal information with strangers, thus exposing themselves to other dangers is one of the most common acts your children do online. Also those strangers may want to meet with your children and if that would happen, the outcome wouldn't be very pleasant.
Internet monitoring is one of the activities that should be undertaken by parents today. You, as a responsible parent, will be able to control what your children do over the internet or see what activities they have engaged in after they do it.
The solution for internet monitoring comes with parental control software. Each of these software programs have different levels of control that you can apply to your computer, so you need to know what you purchase it for. The choice also depends on the kind of relationship you have with your child, if they share relevant information regarding their online activities or not.
Internet monitoring through parental control software has a few features that you can apply. These are the most common activities youngsters engage in over the internet, either because of their curiosity, or because someone else tells them to.
The first and most important thing you must monitor with your parental control software is email. The number of email users is huge, so your child surely has one. With the help of this software you can read the emails sent or received by your child and the information of the person on the other end. You can also choose to filter the read emails based on the content, so you don't have to read each message.
Internet monitoring also focuses on chat rooms and instant messaging, another common activity of children. Each message either sent or received by your child's computer can be viewed through programs like this. This is an important aspect of the software, because online predators covered by anonymity can engage in conversation with your children.
Internet history is another aspect you should monitor closely. This allows you to see the websites that have been visited by your child. Parental control software also gives you the choice to block certain websites that you consider harmful.
Another option you have with this type of software is to be alerted when certain words come up. No matter if they are in an email, chat room or instant message, you can be notified by any means of choice: cell phones, email or others.
If you want the best parental control software available on the market, be sure to visit spyonyourkids.net. This software has three available levels of monitoring that go as far as taking screenshots or recording the videos viewed by your child.
Internet Parental Control Software
To help control what how your child surfs the net, I discuss the various controls you can use at the end of the article. Parental control software is just a small part of the equation and can go only so far. The real first line of defense is the parent. So, while preventive steps like software can reduce the risks, they can't eliminate them completely. So watch for theses red flags of behavior first:
- Is your child minimizing or changing a browser window when ever you walk into the room?
- Are they using instant message lingo like ?POS? (parent over shoulder)?
- Are they getting phone calls from people you don't know or wearing new clothes? These can be gifts from a predator.
- Is your child reluctant to logon or go to school? Those could be signs they are being cyberbullied.
If you think there is a problem you need to report it. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children runs a hot line, both on the Web at www.cybertipline.com and the telephone at 800-843-5678. They will review your report and forward it to the proper authorities. Also let your ISP know, They face stiff fines for not reporting child pornography.
But most important of all you want to educate yourself and your child on the risks that exist online. The Internet is a great thing, but it is also dangerous - like a swimming pool. Do you want fences? Sure. Do you want to have locks? Yes you do. Do you want to have laws? Yes. But the safest child is the one who knows how to swim.
First, I would like to repeat, that the software is no replacement for real parental control where you keep an eye over the child's shoulder and keep watch for warning signs.
Now, if you do a Google search for parental control software you will notice that there is no shortage of offers, but what features do you really need? The most important items to watch/monitor/block are website, email, instant messaging and downloads. Basically what you want to do is track everything they do or say on the computer or online. Every message they sent, every website visited and you want to control when they can be online to send those messages.
This might sound like a lot but it is actually pretty basic and has been around for awhile. Spouses have been using it to catch each other for years it's just been repackaged and you can get pretty descent software for under $100 bucks. On the other hand if you're really into it you can spend thousands. Despite all the extra fluff there are 5 basic features you want:
1. Content Control - Flexible "Internet Filtering" allows you to select the types of websites that are appropriate.
2. Program Control - Control Instant Messengers, P2P File Sharing, and other harmful programs.
3. Time Control - Control the amount of time spent online, and the times when the Internet is available.
4. Usage Logging - Create and review logs of website visited, programs used on the Internet, and Instant Messaging Chats.
5. Usage Alerts - Be notified (some have instant) via email, text message, or phone call when someone visits inappropriate website.
This is a good time to bring up another issue, how do you feel about spying on your kid? How would (did) you feel when mom went through your sock drawer? It brings us around to the new social engineering and the availability of threats. Our kids today have an access that we didn't. When I was 13 to get in trouble I had to at least leave the house. With email and instant messaging our kids don't even have to do that, so I guess it is a conscience call. Me, I would rather have a mad child then a picture on a milk carton.
Both Kassia Macy & Chris Kaminski are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Kassia Macy has sinced written about articles on various topics from Web Development, Auto Insurance and Vacation Rentals. should not be viewed as optional anymore. The safety of your child and your family can be compromised if you don't monitor the online activities of. Kassia Macy's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.
Chris Kaminski has sinced written about articles on various topics from Software, Online Security and Home Security. Chris Kaminski has been working in computer repair and web development for the last 20 years. Kaminski is CEO and head technician for Computer Guys Live Inc., an online computer repair company based in Asheville, NC. He writes informative weekly articles. Chris Kaminski's top article generates over 12100 views. to your Favourites.
All The Fairy Tales Heffernan, Virginia 2007, Nov 18th Sweeping the Clouds Away.
