6 Parental Control Tools
More and more children use mobile devices at a very young age. This is something that worries parents, as they do not know how to keep their children safe from possible dangers that lurk in cyberspace. For this reason, having parental control tools can be a great help.
Although in childhood, we must avoid the excessive use of these devices, the solution isn’t to ban them. What we must do is teach our children to use technology appropriately and safely. At the same time, it’s essential for parents to monitor the activity and warn of any imminent danger.
In this article, we’re going to share with you a compilation of the most popular parental control tools, so that you can manage what your children do on the internet. Take note!
What is parental control?
Parental controls are tools that allow parents to monitor the content of what their children consume on the Internet. And, at the same time, to monitor the time they spend using screen devices (mobile phones, tablets, computers, among others).
According to Spain’s INE, 69.5% of children between the ages of 10 and 15 already have a mobile phone and 94.5% of them access the internet.
As a consequence, more and more children have a device for personal use that connects to the internet. This has its benefits, but also its dangers. For this reason, it is essential to have some parental control tools so that caregivers can regulate their use.
What can we use parental control tools for?
In addition to being a powerful source of information, the Internet can also be a source of danger for children.
One of the main examples is cyberbullying, but we also find data theft (with identity theft) and the loss of time in activities that aren’t useful. Although this last item seems harmless, it can become serious if children are allowed to spend a lot of time on the internet.
Therefore, parental controls help parents in the following ways:
- Avoiding the contact of children and adolescents with strangers.
- Allowing parents to keep a record of the activity of young people on the Internet: The sites they enter and what content they consume on the Internet.
- Limiting the time of use of the screens, through the programming of the maximum connection time of the device.
- Reducing the chances of entering inappropriate and potentially dangerous sites.
The best parental control tools
As we all know, on the Internet, there are many sites with content that’s not suitable for children and adolescents. For this reason, we must be very careful what our children see while browsing.
Next, we’ll share a series of parental control tools that can be of great help.
Microsoft Family Safety
This tool has been developed by the Microsoft company and is used to monitor children’s activity on the Internet.
In it, we can set time limits for screen use, block inappropriate content, and even control access to certain applications and online games.
This application is usually available for all devices with a Microsoft operating system and is downloaded through its official website.
Qustodio
This is one of the most recommended parental control tools, because of how effective and simple it is.
It’s available for cell phones and computers of all operating systems. In addition, it has a free version and a paid version with extra resources.
With this application, you can block certain games, control the time that children spend on social media, control their activity on YouTube, and also access their calls and messages.
Parental control for iOS
This belongs to Apple and is usually integrated into the devices of this brand.
It’s an effective application for regulating children’s activity time on the internet.
In it, it’s possible to make restrictions in terms of content, to control access to certain websites that are inappropriate. Also, it has Game Center functions, to prevent children from spending many hours in online games.
Panda dome family
This tool is available for both iOS and Android.
It has a function that allows blocking applications and certain games to keep your children away from content that’s not suitable for their age.
Also, you can limit the browsing time and keep track of the exact location of the young people at all times.
It has a geolocation alert to establish “safe zones” of movement and, if they leave them, the application sends an alert. In addition, in case of loss or theft of the device, this function allows you to know the location of the device.
Google Family Link
This is a totally free Google parental control tool designed for mobiles.
Through it, you can obtain reports on the applications frequently used by your children or the time they spend connected and thus limit or prevent their use.
Also, it allows you to block or restrict the use of the device during a certain time, such as school hours. Another function of this application is to know the child’s real-time location at any time.
Read more: The mobile phone is not a toy for children
Secure Kids for Android
This application is available for Android and has both a free and a paid version with more features.
It can be used on mobile phones and tablets and works to locate the child at any time. In addition, it allows you to prevent access to certain websites, filter content, among other options.
About parental control tools
Parental control tools serve the purpose of helping parents control their children’s use of screens. This helps avoid the dangers of surfing alone and accessing age-inappropriate content.
Even so, we mustn’t forget that a good education is the foundation for preventing these threats. We must be able to convey to children the reason why we restrict certain content.
The best way to tackle a problem is to opt for prevention in a timely manner.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Larreátegui, G. B., & Sánchez, M. S. (2016). Implementación de una aplicación para control parental en dispositivos inteligentes. INVESTIGATIO, (7), 101-115.
- Arias Calvo, L. A., Rodríguez Basallo, C. A., & Caicedo Cerón, S. D. El ciber control parental: un mecanismo idóneo para salvaguardar el interés superior del menor, frente a los riesgos online.
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Ivorra Méndez, E. (2014). Estudio sobre la protección de los padres hacia sus hijos en internet: control parental y otras estrategias, en Huelva capital, España (Master’s thesis, Universidad Internacional de Andalucía).
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García Jiménez, L. N. (2016). Uso que los menores hacen de las redes sociales y control parental.