Software To Help Parents Monitor Online Activity
Nowadays, being a parent is in many ways more challenging than it used to be a few decades ago. Internet and mobile devices may pose a threat to the safety of our kids. In a perfect world, the web would be a safe space for all of us; unfortunately this is not the reality. Parents are quite often too busy to monitor their kids’ online activity, which leads to potentially dangerous situations. Parental control software can help you protect your kids from concerning content by blocking access to certain sites or permitting access only to the sites pre-approved by you.
Qustodio
This software offers a comprehensive set of tools to keep your kids safe online. Its functions include YouTube monitoring, tracking the time spent on social media, time limits for gaming, and other options. The tools aren’t free, but they offer a really high level of protection.
Bark
Bark is a rather expensive choice (it costs $99 per year), but it’s one of the few parental control tools which can monitor emails and PC-based online activity. This means kids have fewer ways to sneak around the tracking. Bark monitors social media instead of simply blocking it, and kids have then a chance to learn to use social sites responsibly. You’ll be able to get notifications whenever a concerning message is sent or received.
Boomerang
This is the best choice when it comes to monitoring online activity of younger kids who have just gotten their first mobile devices. The tool helps them learn how to use it responsibly. It doesn’t offer social media or email tracking, but it allows you to block apps and remotely pause internet activity on your kid’s phone. You can even schedule shutdowns at chosen times, such as before bedtime.
OpenDNS FamilyShield
It’s a free parental control tool from OpenDNS automatically blocking domains that contain adult content or can be used to bypass content filters. Furthermore, it can run on PCs and mobile devices or be applied to the router in order to filter all the traffic. This way, every device at home is protected.
