Raising Digital Kids
Content Control - Five Options for Parents
In the hectic world of modern parenting, screen time is often used as a pseudo babysitter. Parents trade a tablet and internet access for a precious few minutes to catch their breath. The time spent online is often loosely supervised. Right or wrong, this is a common occurrence in the digital age. You want to believe that your child is making good choices, but do you know how your child is spending their time online?
Take a step back and truly think about that question. Do you honestly know specifically what videos they are watching, what games they are playing, what sites they are visiting? In a perfect world, parents would have the time to sit with their children and guide their online activity. That would be very time consuming and it is not realistic for most families. Many parents believe they lack technical skills needed to proactively filter the Internet, which only serves to compound the problem. Fortunately, there are options that parents can use to control technology use in their household that even the most novice adult can set up.
The apps and devices listed below are designed to do more than just limit technology. Each one offers a variety of ways to better understand how your kids interact with technology. Knowing what your child does while online can help guide conversations around their “digital diet.”
Circle
https://meetcircle.com/circle/
Circle allows parents to take better control of the Internet at home. It is the only device on this list that was specifically designed for parents. Circle is very easy to set up. Plug it in, connect it to your home WiFi, and then all the configuration is done through an easy to use app. Parents can choose to set time limits for usage, but those limits can be different for each child. Content filtering (blocking out sites) can also be done on a per-student basis. Imagine being able to pause access to the Internet on all the chosen devices in your home so that kids can focus on chores or homework? Circle’s Pause feature makes that dream a reality. Other features such as Bedtime and Rewards makes Circle one of my favorite devices for parents. Circle recently released Circle Go which provides parents with similar functionality for older children with their smartphone. Circle costs $99 and is available for purchase at Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart.
OurPact
https://www.ourpact.com
Similar to Circle, OurPact has robust phone and tablet controls that are easy to set up and even easier to maintain. To begin, simply install the OurPact app on every device that needs parental controls. Parents can then use the parent app to do things such as prevent internet access for a set amount of time, block apps and social media, or limit or block all texting. OurPact does not require a physical device to be installed in your home. It does, however, have a monthly subscription fee ranging from $1.99 to $6.99 depending on what package is selected. OurPact is a fantastic option for parental controls inside and outside the home.
Norton Family Premier
https://us.norton.com/norton-family-premier
Norton has been a leader in online security for over twenty years, so it is no surprise that their team has developed a suite of tools for keeping children safe online. Norton Family Premier offers parents a wide variety of safety options such as website and app blocking, time limits, YouTube video “watch lists,” and even location supervision. This software packs a ton of features! The cost is $49.99 and while that is an annual cost, it does ensure that you have all the latest features to keep up with new gadgets and phones. The only negative to NFP is that software needs to be loaded on each device to monitor it.
NetNanny
https://www.netnanny.com/
The last application to round out our list is NetNanny. NetNanny was one of the very first companies to begin protecting children online, reaching initial popularity in the late 90s. For years, it was the trusted solution for countless families across the globe. The most recent version of NetNanny include features similar to the other options listed above. Website blocking, time limits, and settings that can be adjusted per child. One of the options that stood out was the ability to mask profanity on sites for younger students. NetNanny is subscription based ($59.99) and does require installation on every device.
Amazon FreeTime Unlimited
Instead of filtering, parents could consider limiting free time to an online environment designed just for kids. Amazon has created a fantastic new online space for children ages 3 – 12. FreeTime Unlimited is a collection of apps, games, books, and videos that have been pre-screened for content. FreeTime Unlimited is separated into three subgroups by the age of the child: 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. This helps to personalize the experience for the kids by making sure they see apps, games, books, and videos that are at their level. For example, younger children are not given access to content designated for pre-teens and vice versa. There are many amazing features to FreeTime Unlimited.
- For starters, kids are blocked from social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc) while using the application.
- Younger kids can search for apps, games, books, and videos using pictures while they are still developing typing skills.
- The background of the screen changes to a light blue color so that parents can be sure their child is in a safe environment with a simple glance.
- Amazon partnered with Common Sense Media to include Smart Filters. The filters ensure the content is safe AND age appropriate.
- Parents can set daily time limits on things like games and videos. Those time limits can be connected to education based goals as well. For example, videos and games can be limited until a child has completed their reading.
- In-game purchases cannot occur without a parent entering a password.
There are two downsides to FreeTime Unlimited. For starters, it is not available on Apple devices (i.e., it does not work on iPads or iPhones). It does work on Andriod tablets and phones as well as any Amazon Fire device. The second downside is that it is not free. While that has to be expected, free would make this much more exciting. It is discounted for Prime Members though. For a single child, the cost is $4.99 a month ($2.99 for Prime Members). Families of up to four children can sign up for $9.99 a month ($6.99 for Prime Members).
Bridges, Not Barriers
The tools listed above can provide parents with a better idea of how their children are spending their time online. The knowledge of what they are doing online can lead to some phenomenal conversations. I would encourage you to consider all the positive ways you might be able to connect with your kids using these tools. One idea I saw was to pause Internet access to everyone’s devices during dinnertime to help minimize distractions and promote real world conversation.
Another suggestion is that one parent (or both) take a few minutes out of the day to watch a couple of the videos that are popular with your child(ren). While you may not understand what you are watching, I am confident you will get a sense of the kind of content in which your child is interested. In our household, Minecraft videos were popular with our nine year old son for a few months. My wife and I spent some time watching a few of the videos to ensure the content was appropriate, but also so we could better understand his world. He was so excited that we were able to speak his language.
Mike Daugherty is a husband, father of three young children, author, speaker, Google Innovator, and possible Starbucks addict. He is a certified educational technology leader who has served in a variety of roles through his eighteen-year career in public education. Currently, Mike is the Director of Technology for the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village School district in Northeast Ohio. As an IT director he has developed creative, well thought out solutions that positively impact teaching and learning.