By Susan Anable
Guest Writer
Do you ever feel like your kids know more than you do about how to navigate around on smart devices?
We can’t monitor our children’s every move online, but internet parental controls are an easy way for parents to make sure their kids stay safe while they’re streaming, gaming, scrolling or chatting.
As our use of the internet and the modes we use to access it have evolved, so have parental controls. Here are six tips for making the most of parental controls available for every internet-connected device in your home:
Choose a handful of sites you’re comfortable with and make those the only ones accessible on the device your kid uses.
Your internet service provider also may have parental controls included in your subscription, which can help you restrict and monitor the time kids spend online while they are home.
Otherwise, consider blocking a social media site or deleting an email account if you’re truly worried.
Most importantly, know what parental controls can and can’t do.
Parental controls can control how much time your kid spends online using devices you and your family own, which online games your child can access, filter browsers so your children can only access pre-approved websites, prevent children from using certain devices, limit what children can search for online and manage the types of videos that are searchable online.
Parental controls cannot control who reaches out to your children on their own social media channels or what photos children view on their own social media channels if those websites are not blocked, or you do not have access to their accounts.
— Susan Anable is Cox Communications vice president of public affairs, Southwest Region and a mother of two.