Schools, colleges and MATs use a combination of education and digital solutions to keep students safe online. However, exposure to digital risks can also occur at home, where the same levels of protection are harder to achieve. It is therefore essential for parents to play a role in ensuring their children use digital devices in a safe and responsible manner.
This article explains how schools can promote digital controls as an effective way for parents to protect and support their children's online activities.
What are parental controls?
It can be a challenge for parents to manage their child’s device use, especially if they are not particularly tech-savvy. Parental control tools provide a simple way for parents to gain more oversight and control of how their children use technology. This kind of monitoring is vital to promote healthy digital behaviours and protect children from online risks such as grooming, inappropriate or harmful material and tech addiction.
Parental control tools can be applied to all kinds of devices, including smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles. While features vary across different tools, most common types enable parents to:
- Filter and block inappropriate content, e.g., pornography
- Restrict screen time to certain types of content and/or times of day
- Disable specific device or app features, such as cameras or in-app purchases
- Create individual profiles for different family members
- Employ device GPS tracking
- Monitor and produce reports on online activity
- Protect personal information
How do parental controls work?
There are three main types of parental control tools:
Network level
Network-level controls are set on a router or hub and so facilitate safe digital access for all devices connected to the WiFi network. This approach is suited to devices that remain in the home, but is not particularly effective for mobile devices, which usually have data plans and are often used outside the home.
Device level
Device-level controls are installed directly on smartphones, tablets and laptops. An advantage they have over network-level controls is that they work both inside and outside the home, no matter whether the device is connected to WiFi or data.
Application level
Application-level controls are built into specific platforms by the app developers, and so are managed through the app’s settings.
How to encourage the use of parental controls
As well as introducing your parent community to the option of parental controls, you can encourage their use by addressing common misgivings parents may have about adopting these tools. Below are some examples.
Using parental controls is not spying
The controls are designed to keep children safe, not spy on them. They provide parents with important visibility in online spaces where risky behaviours are easily hidden.
They shouldn't worry if children attempt to bypass the controls
It's normal for some children to try to disable or adjust parental controls. Most good quality parental control systems have protocols in place to detect and respond to tampering.
Parents should be reassured that if their child does attempt to bypass parental controls, it’s not a big cause for concern. In fact, it presents them with a useful opportunity to engage in productive conversations around making safe online choices.
Setting them up doesn't require technical skill
The best parental controls are user-friendly and simple to set-up. Qustodio, for example, has a dedicated support centre and offers walkthrough guides and videos on set up, use and troubleshooting.
Rather than upsetting their child, it can bring them closer
While children (particularly teenagers) may initially be upset about the idea of parental controls, most of them want their parents to be more understanding about their technology use. Parental controls help parents to play a more active, supportive role in their child’s digital wellbeing and development.
The digital world plays a significant role in the life of today’s students, with everything from homework, entertainment and socialising taking place online. It is therefore essential for parents to work with schools to manage and monitor these activities, and parental controls provide a simple, practical way for them to do so.
Of course, applying parental controls is only a part of keeping children safe online. It is important for both educators and parents to nurture students into becoming safe, responsible and resilient digital citizens.
Engage your parent community in digital safety with Qustodio
Qustodio is a parental app that enables parents to manage their child's screen time - keeping children safer both inside and outside of school hours. To get a free demo of Qustodio, or learn more about engaging your parent community in digital safety, contact enquiries@smoothwall.com. We're happy to help.
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