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Got Children? Then You Need Parental Control Software
By John F | April 4, 2008
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My sister asked me recently if she needed any parental control software for her so she can limit what her children can see when using the Internet. I emphatically said yes you do.
The Internet is a brilliant resource and entertainment tool, especially for children. However, it has made the job of parenting a more difficult duty due to the nature of what can be accessed by them and the threat of chat rooms especially.
You want your children to experience the enormous amount of knowledge that’s available on the Internet and communicate with their friends online. Unfortunately, it also potentially exposes your children to unsuitable material, obscene pop-up ads, and even sexual predators.
In fact, research indicates that 1 in 5 children aged 10 to 17 have received sexual communication over the Internet. This is definitely not something any parent wants to hear, although in the stark reality of life, it’s something you must be aware of, be able to deal with and ultimately prevent.
You need reassurance when your children are surfing the Internet. There are many paid for and free programs available for controlling what content and websites your children are able to view. In the true nature of this blog, I can suggest one such free program. It’s a simple to install toolbar that gives you complete control over what your children can view on the Internet.
I recommend a program called http://parentalcontrolbar.org/. Parental Control Bar is provided free of charge by WRAAC.org, a non-profit organization who are dedicated to providing free, effective Internet control tools. I have tried it, and it is simple to use. It works on Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, integrates with Internet Explorer 5.5+, Firefox 1.5+ and Safari 10.4+
If you have children, then you must have a parental control program of some description. There are other parental control programs available than my suggestion. Please try them if you don’t want to try my suggestion above, although having one is a necessity.
I advised my sister to install http://parentalcontrolbar.org/ as quickly as she could so she can limit what her children can access. She’ll have much more piece of mind when they do use the Internet.
Topics: Computer Privacy Usefulness |
April 5th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Hi John,
You should also recommend to your sister, WiHood (www.WiHood.com). A new company providing web filtering for children by giving each child their own virtual desktop. Its better then the old way of protecting children online because it also enables every child access to applications and services so they can do their homework better and save the parents money by having to purchase a new PC.
WiHood is the next generation of child protection and child education on the internet.
http://www.WiHood.com
April 5th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Many thanks Thomas. WiHood looks good, and I have now recommended it to her.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Why restrict and block only… It’s better to have the full picture and KNOW what kids are doing. That’s why parents should go for monitoring software. Kids will absolutely get around blocks and filters — but if you can have a visual record of everything that happens on the PC, they can’t get around that…. you can even (theoretically) watch them TRY to get around the other provisions and them bust them on it. Be a parent, enforce rules and know what your kids are doing and whom they are talking to. Check out PC Pandora, a very complete monitoring software program.
April 7th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Thanks Ken. Another good recommendation.