How Parental Control Apps Can Help Parents

Articles • Jan 14, 2022

There’s no one who likes to be abandoned in the globe of the internet today. Similar to you, your children may want to explore new styles only possible through surfing the web. We all know, however, that the internet might not be the best location for your child. When your child surfs the Internet, there are real dangers that could threaten his or her online safety.

We can access virtually anything via the internet with the click of a button, but the internet itself is full of pros and cons. Kids can get into trouble with this easy access, since they will not know which information is appropriate. Keeping an eye on kids’ online activities is becoming an increasingly important task for parents because of the amount of time kids spend online these days. To address this threat, software is available that controls or monitors children’s online activities.

Tech-savvy kids are being raised by their parents. Babies are using tablets and teens are using text messaging. The majority of schools now offer computer lessons to students using tablets and computers. A cell phone is one of the best ways for parents to stay in touch with their children and teens. This keeps parents updated on what their children could be up to and where they might be at any given time.

In defining the boundaries of digital freedom, parents must weigh the pros and cons of giving their children digital freedom. It is generally understood by parents that limiting their children’s access to the internet is detrimental to their learning and development. The disadvantage of this is that it exposes children to online threats and content that may be too much for them.

How do parental control work?

Parental controls have the purpose of limiting what children are able to do with electronic devices. Parental controls accomplish this in a variety of ways, so this is fairly vague.

In some parental control methods, you can limit how many minutes your children spend on screens every day, or stop computers from being used after a certain time. Other programs ban certain types of video or gaming content. Additional means of parental control enable you to block specific websites or content. Monitor your children’s device use so that you can see what they’re doing. You can find a control system that suits your parenting style.

The need for parental controls

Children might not be aware of how much online isn’t friendly for them if you’re not familiar with the internet-connected world. Many adult-oriented forms of media are readily available online, including explicit music, violent video games, and untold forms of sexual content.

Over the past few years, many of these gatekeepers, such as Google, have gotten much better at filtering out the worst. Nevertheless, even accidentally, a child may find themselves in possession of items you don’t want them to see.

The pros of parental control apps

1. Parental controls help monitor your kids’ devices

Keep an eye on your kids’ iPads, iPhones, and other devices as they learn how to make online friends and be good digital citizens. There are many apps available in the app store. Parents can use iOS or Android parental controls apps to monitor their children’s email, social media profiles, and texts.

These tools are particularly useful if you want to avoid problematic conversations or activities. Some apps alert you when they detect certain words or phrases such as “drugs.” You should let your kids know when you monitor their devices, especially since you’ll need some information about their account, such as passwords.

2. Parental control can set screen time limits

Children with smartphones are likely to spend all day playing video games, online games, watching videos, sending messages, etc., which is likely to negatively impact their health, sleep, and social skills as they may become more isolated.

Children must be encouraged to limit their screen time for better sleep use by parents. The parental control feature allows you to set a time limit on how long your children can use devices.

When it comes to the web’s role in learning, the internet can play a critical role if utilized appropriately; teens average more than six hours of screen time per day, while younger children average more than two hours per day.

Therefore, you can monitor internet usage through parental control and set a screen time limit.

3. Find online predators

It is not only inappropriate content that can be found on the Internet. Social media sites and message boards are no exception, since predators lurk there waiting for their next child victim to take their bait. By letting you know who your child’s contacts are, parental controls help you protect your child from these individuals. Their message history will also reveal when and how they interacted, as well as when and how they conversed.

4. Track your kid’s location

GPS tracking allows you to track your kids’ locations with the help of parental control. No matter where you are, you will know where they are at all times. They will show you their location at any given time, as well as directions and route.

It is possible to track your kids’ locations secretly and remotely. A GPS tracking feature lets you see all the details, such as address, date, time, travel routes, etc.

This app also lets you know when your children enter or leave a specified location. The app gives an address and a map link for the location.

5. Parental control helps backup data

School projects and homework are sometimes completed on the internet by children. A safe and reliable place is essential for backing up their data.

It is important to teach children how to save and store data. Online, there are many free software programs that offer the ability to store data. Many of them, however, could be infected with viruses and malware.

Likewise, children have amassed a collection of memories in the form of pictures, emails, and texts that they would like to save. Make sure you have a backup. In addition to falling in water, breaking, being lost or stolen, and dying naturally, cell phones can also be damaged by floods. Backing up your phone’s data is essential.

The cons of parental control apps

1. High cost

If you want more than a basic content filter, you will have to spend a great deal of money on a parental control app. Many developers know that you will pay a premium for these apps because you want them to protect your children. Due to this, even with an occasional free trial, you might not have the budget for them.

There are some features that premium parenting software offers that aren’t free. These features often allow you to read a child’s message, follow them on social media, and track their location. Some parents may not find this price affordable.

2. Impact on parent-child relationship

When loyalty and trust are present, every relationship becomes stronger. Children’s smartphones are betrayed when parental control software is installed on them. It makes them feel untrustworthy and makes them feel angry.

Parent-child relationships suffer mentally and emotionally as they begin to doubt the loyalty and don’t believe you.

By blocking frequently accessed websites, your child might become frustrated, and they might start behaving badly. This might make them question your trustworthiness.

3. Tech-savvy children can get around them

It may be dangerous for your child’s installed software to remain untouched if he or she is a tech geek or very clever with tools. In addition, most of the time Google already exists so your child does not need to tinker with it and figure out how to eliminate it.

A child can learn how to uninstall these programs and tools by just typing in a few keywords or joining a group or forum.

Neither should you underestimate a child’s ability to figure out how to uninstall and remove software that monitors and controls their activities.

4. Parental control is not a substitute for parenting

Monitoring and protecting your child are the only things parental controls do for you. The purpose of them is to serve, but they aren’t substitutes for parenting. Many parents fall into this trap due to the ease of use of these devices. If you do this, you will be sacrificing valuable bonding time with your child.

5. Dangers of fake parental control

The last thing you want is a parental control app that is nothing but an advertisement. Despite the fact that their code is safe, these apps do nothing other than look pretty. There are some fake apps that even charge you money for things you already do.

Conclusion

For younger children, parental controls and monitoring are essential. Children lack self-awareness, so they are easy targets because they don’t realize when they are vulnerable. The parental control you use during the child’s critical development years will complement the usual parenting methods. Until your child reaches the right age, you can use any monitoring tool you deem appropriate to protect them.

The parental control solution you choose should be tailored to your child’s needs since every child develops differently. If you want to feel at ease, you should install a phone tracker. You should also look into tracking emails. Make sure you stay informed about your child’s activities by talking to the school counselor.

As the kids grow, parents might want to consider GPS location tracker apps like iSharing that can ensure their safety by letting you know of their whereabouts.

When your kids reach adulthood, you should ease off with the monitoring. By turning off or removing controls that are no longer needed, you can strengthen your relationship with them. If they mess up again, let them know how to earn your trust again to have them removed. Being vigilant is important, but you should provide your children with the benefit of the doubt whenever possible.