Tips to Provide Safe Internet for Your Family

We belong to the first generation of parents who face the challenge of internet safety every single day. With so much going on around us, it is of utmost importance to create a safe internet for our kids. Almost every parent faces this challenge and finds it hard to draw the line. Thankfully, there are lots of internet safety software that can help you do parenting the right way. With the help of these child safety software, you can create a nurturing space for your kids on the internet and prevent them from cyberbullying or getting exposed to inappropriate content.

Part 1: Internet Safety Tips for Parents

Both parents, as well as kids, should meet each other halfway when it comes to the matter of safe internet. If you are a progressive parent and would like to give your child an access to the internet, then you should also know the grave issues related to indecent content and addiction that comes with it. Here are some expert suggestions that can help you draw the line and give a productive upbringing to your kids.

1. Take the first step together

Don’t let your kids explore the internet on their own. They might end up disclosing personal information publicly or can get in trouble as well. Address their questions about the internet patiently and instead of letting them dive-in alone, browse the internet with them.

2. Make ground rules

You can’t just expect them to know the difference between right and wrong at such an early age. It is important to let them know of a few basic rules right from the start. Initially, only let them use certain websites. Allow them only to use the internet for educational purposes and don’t create their social media profiles just like that. Additionally, it is important to set restricted time duration for them to use the internet.

3. Talk about the risks

It is important to let them know about what can go wrong if they use the internet abruptly. Teach them where to draw the line and encourage them not to get friendly with strangers. Instead of just lecturing them, explain them the severe consequences their actions can cause. Let them know about everything that is illegal and how to deal with an unwanted situation.

4. Be tech-savvy

As a parent, you should always be a few steps ahead of your kids. There are inbuilt parental controls in almost every major operating system like Windows or Mac. You can just use these parental control features and set strict restrictions regarding the internet usage of your kids.

5. Use readily available tools

There are tons of internet safety software out there that you can use to automate this task. Simply install the software of your choice, customize it accordingly, and let it do its job. Almost every child safety software provides timely reports and logs that can help you monitor every activity of your family members.

Part 2: Internet Safety Tips for Children and Teens

Kids and teens are most likely to get exploited online. It is their lack of maturity or even the addiction of social media apps that lands them in trouble. Here are some thoughtful suggestions that every child and teenager should follow to create a safer internet environment.

1. Don’t make everything public

Almost every teenager is on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat these days. While it encourages you to share almost every single detail related to your life with others, you should know that there are a few things that you should keep to yourself. Try not to list your personal information (phone number, address, etc.) online and keep your profile private.

2. Indecent content

Make sure that you don’t get exposed to inappropriate content before reaching the right age. You can either apply filters or simply block such sources to ensure a healthy environment for yourself. Also, don’t get addicted to a certain app, games, website. Make sure that you measure your usage of the internet and don’t overlook your homework while browsing the web.

3. Cyberbullying

There are thousands of teenagers who get bullied on the internet every single day. Educate yourself and don’t tease anyone online. What might sound something fun and light to you might demean someone else. Additionally, if you are getting bullied by someone, then block them from your circle and talk to your parents about it. Don’t take cyberbullying lightly.

4. Be cautious while befriending someone new

Thousands of people meet each other on the internet every day. Though, not everyone can have the same intention as yours. Try not to be friends with a stranger online. Even if you have met and befriended someone on the internet, don’t go and meet them alone in person.

5. Respect the rules

Needless to say, you need to respect all the ground rules that your parents must have laid for you. If you are finding it hard to follow them, try to talk to your parents instead of simply finding a way to decode the respective internet safety software. This will only cause a lack of trust between you and your parents.

Part 3: Top 6 Parental Controls Apps to Guarantee Internet Safety

As a parent, you can always take the assistance of a child safety software to make sure that your kids won’t be exposed to a hostile environment on the internet. We have handpicked some of the best internet safety software and tools that you can use to automate things for you.

1. SpyX for Parental Control

If you are searching for a relibale parental control, never hesitate to choose SpyX. Except for tracking browsing histroy and bookmarks, it enables you to track your children's phone remotely and get to know all activities on the phone, such as text messages, calls, emails, installed apps and social media chats (WhatsApp, Instagram, Kik, Snapchat). You can view current location and location history of your children's phone. What's more, you can set restricted area with Geo-fencing feature. 

Steps to Use SpyX for Monitoring Kids' Phone

Step 1. Sign up Free

Click the "Try Now" button to sign up for free for a SpyX account. Use your email as the username.

Step 2. Add iCloud Details

Select iOS as the target platform, then follow the guide on the screen to finish setting up SpyX.

Step 3. Start Monitoring

Start monitoring your kid from the SpyX dashboard.

2. Xfinity

Xfinity is a comprehensive tool that will make sure that your kids won’t get exposed to inappropriate content either on the internet or the television. It has dedicated tools for mobile, internet, and television that you can access from their website. Its internet control tool will let you block websites or a certain kind of content easily. Additionally, you can link it with your Norton family plan as well. The tool also provides informative guides that can help you tackle this sensitive issue with your kids.

3. Net Nanny

Net Nanny is one of the best child safety software that you can use to take the safe internet approach. It is compatible with almost every major operating system and provides high-end features like time management, social media monitoring, content blocking, profanity masking, remote management, and a lot more. The tool can run incognito, without letting your family members about its presence. You can access the dashboard from anywhere and get timely updates about the activity of your family members online. Its Family Pass 10 plan starts from as less as $9 per device.

4. Safe Surfer

This effective tool will make sure that your kids are able to digital surf without getting exposed to any kind of indecent content. The application has an extensive content filtering mechanism that will make sure that your family members would stay away from vulgar content, cyberbullying, scams, virus, and more. You can download the tool from its official website and make an appropriate donation of your choice.

5. Qustodio

Qustodio is an all-in-one internet safety software that will certainly make your life as a parent a whole lot easier. The tool is available for free while the premium version will cost as less as $50 a year. With Qustodio, you can monitor every move your kids take on the internet on its dashboard. It also provides visual reports that you can check in a timely manner. The tool has plenty of features like location tracking, social media monitoring, SMS tracking, app and gaming control, etc.

6. Kids Place

Kids Place will certainly make parenting easier for you. It is currently available at Google Play Store and Amazon App Store. Control everything on the go and create a nurturing online space for your kids.The application can help you block websites, calls, SMS, etc. With it, you can also monitor their activity and get timely updates regarding every move of your child.

We are sure that after following these thoughtful suggestions, you would be able to create a productive environment for your kids online. Meet them halfway and try these parental control apps to give your kids a pleasant experience on the web.