The best parental control guide to protect
teenagers from accessing mature digital media content from android smartphones, TV,
Social media and Online – Parental Control on Android phones to restrict
teenagers from viewing explicit mature content through multimedia devices.
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| Protect Your Kids From Harmful Media Content! |
Is a good thing that we have all the
technology money can buy nowadays but the way in which this technology is used
is sometimes is inappropriate with negative effects to the future of our
children's. Every parent wish to raise a well mannered child with good morals
so that one day he or she can become a good parent too. But how do you raise a
good child in this current environment where our kids are exposed from various
risks and explicit media content distributed through smart phones TV, Online
and public places.
In the past weeks, I have been watching a
long series which is reputable and very popular on TV across south Africa.
Everyone loves this series and even kids and teenagers loves it very much so
that you can't stop them when is time to watch it. The concern now is that it
becomes too explicit like an adult TV series and children are watching this.
The problem is how this affect our children in their minds and how they will
conduct themselves after watching this type of TV media. Is not only on TV but
online and on mobile devices exchanging sexual or explicit media of adult
nature. When it comes to technology, trying to control this kind of issues
sometimes needs extra expertise to fine tune and take corrective measures to
keep your children safe at all times.
Is too close to impossible to control access
to explicit content by our kids but we can at least try to reduce the outbreak
with all available tools we can use. Is a sophisticated task though but as much
as it burns me inside it should burn you too if you are good parent who want to
raise all your kids in a humble way. You don't want to see your kid pregnant at
10 years right? and sure don't want to hear that your 12 year old son
impregnated a ten years teenager. Is a reality and if we don't take a stand now
our children's have no future, but is this the future that you would want for
your children's? the answer would be an absolute "NO". Today I put a
thought with all that I know in terms of technology to identify tools, mechanisms
and tricks which parents can use and adopt to safeguard their children so that
they can grow in suitable environment without inappropriate media content
brought by technology in our homes.
Below I'm going to list of the most
crucial items or topics we should highly focus on;
1. Smartphone (Looking at Internet,
Bluetooth, Camera, SD card and Settings)
2. TV and Parental Control settings
3. Immoral Teenage Friends
So now we have a clear picture of what
our obstacles look like then I'll start picking one by one and explaining then
negative influence and solutions to each of them. Even though not all the
problems you will be facing as a parent won't be solved at once, this is a
collective community work as single parent can't achieve this doing it alone
but can only make it better on his or her children's. Remember that the time
you start implementing these restrictions you will be your children's worse
enemy because what you don't want your kids to watch is exactly what they want
see. This is one the most fascinating and challenging thing about raising
children and teenagers, so is whether you put their safety first or their
interests first but is choice and a life changing one. Is a difficult choice
indeed but it has to made to safeguard your own kids from harmful media
content.
1.
Smartphone Access Restriction and
Wireless Sharing
This is the most difficult device to control
as it is more sophisticated and capable accessing anything worldwide. Giving a
teenager this kind of device is like giving away access keys to your safe
because as long as you have the key to the safe you can take whatever inside
it. Is why they call it a smartphone popular and operating on android platform,
easy to download thousands of media with fast speeds, with removable storage
devices, easy sharing with Bluetooth and WiFi.
Let see your options when it come to this;
1. For teenagers make sure you buy them kids
android smartphones typically a Nintendo Smart device (Usually without
Bluetooth or SD card)
2. Register a sim card with the exact I'd of
teenagers
3. Download and install an Anti-theft software
like AVG, AVAST - This software will enable you as a parent to have more
control of your teenager's device.
4. Download, install lockdown and configure
it yourself with own password. This app restrict teenager from installing any
app or changing administrative settings without supervision.
5. Activate Parental control on the sim card
and set it to "Child " so that whenever your children go to the
internet no adult or harmful content will be shown or downloaded in the web
browser.
6. Make sure you have administrator access
control of your teenager's device "Meaning" he or she can't change anything
like password or settings without your lockdown password" However "
Internet accessed via a public wife can't be monitored and teenagers can
download anything they want", is a pity but you can conduct frequent
scrutiny of your children's devices to diagnose any unwanted and harmful
content.
Also share-it files can't be blocked without special
software but you can set a password which will required every time another
device try to share something with the phone and as a parent be the
administrator of that password so that you can authenticate every file shared
with your child, or remove share it on device and turn "ON" your
lockdown software to restrict software installation without authorization. So
if you need something which can help you regarding WiFi restriction contact me
through the contact form.
NB: Is advisable to purchase Android devices
dedicated for kid's, highly "without Bluetooth or SD card storage" if
possible.
2. TV and Parental Controls
Is a funny thing how we choose not to use
appropriate settings provided on our TV’s. Most TV's have these settings to
restrict access to certain channels which are not suitable children's, so as a
parent you can do so and secure these settings with a password so that no
teenager can change the settings. Even though some channels don't entirety show
adult content all the time, you can supervise your kids when watching because
some channels are favorites to these kids. So you rather let them watch in your
presence and switch channels as appropriate and fit.
So your options will be;
1. Restrict Certain channels and assign a
password to the channels
2. Supervise Teenagers when watching favorite
channels which sometimes play explicit media.
3. Work hand in hand with your neighbors or
close relatives to enforce the same rules. Remember this is a joined struggle
to safeguard our kids, don't play hero and try to do it alone because you won't
win)
4.Take advantage of DSTV control settings to
personalize suitable channels only for kids and teenagers so that they can
watch in your absence.
3. Immoral Teenage Friends of Your Kids
Is considered ignorant if you don't care what
kind of kids are your children's friends because if they befriend misbehaving
teenagers with immoral values then soon you have problems with your kids. Is
not a bad thing to scrutinize your children's friends and their background so
that you can know if whether they are from well parented family or not. Keeping
away your teenagers from rogue teenagers will the greatest thing you have done
for your kids. Is a difficult choice but you and your kids have to live with it
for a greater good. I hope all the information I provided will help you groom
your children's to the right direction and protect them against technological
consequences which may later impact negatively on their future.
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