Children and teens have legitimate reasons to go online, but if left unchecked, they can wreak havoc – and sometimes without even trying. Children and teens want to use computers, smartphones and the Internet. But they don’t necessarily have the knowledge or maturity to use them wisely. Parents are the ones who should give a young child a short amount of online time and the ones who should increase that amount of time little by little as the child gets older.
The first rule to follow is: Never give a child or teenager (from now on, I'll just use the word child) the administrator account password of a Windows PC, or let them use that account. Not only can they lock you out of your own computer, but they can also disable the tools you've installed to protect it.
Obviously, you don't want your child to be watching porn or hanging out with predators. But you should also consider limiting the amount of time they spend sitting in front of a screen. By limiting the hours they spend online, you give your kids more time for sleep, old-school socializing, and real play.
Whatever tools you use to protect your children, be honest with them. Let them know that you can see where they go online and who they communicate with on social media. They will protest, but they will trust you and in the long run they will develop self-control.
You could use Norton Family to protect your kids. The free version should be sufficient for computer access. Once a child gets a smartphone, consider upgrading to the $50 per year Premiere version. With each version, you download and install the software on the computer or device(s) your child will be using. You can then change settings and monitor their activity via a website.
Norton Family lets you monitor and control searches, social networks, and web browsing. You can choose whether or not to allow the types of websites you want to be “off limits.” You can control what happens when your child tries to visit one of these sites. You can block websites, show your child a warning, or simply have Norton send you a notification.
I would suggest choosing the warning option. This way, the child can decide if the website is appropriate for them, while also knowing that you will be able to see their decision.
Finally, Norton Family allows you to schedule the times when children can and cannot use the computer.
