Parental Controls 101: essential tools every mum should know for a safe digital home
In today’s digital world, the internet has become a crucial part of our everyday lives. From work to entertainment and information to communication, all of our experiences have become digital in nature. This means that as mums, we need to ensure that our children’s online experiences are safe and secure by creating a safe digital home.
If you’re worried about finding the tools for creating a safe digital home for your children, here’s a list of some tried and tested parental control apps that you must include in your digital safety. But first, let’s look at some of the qualities that your chosen parental control tool must possess.
Essential Tools Every Mum Should Know For A Safe Digital Home
Find A Trustworthy Parental Control App
At the top of the list is parental control software. As the name suggests, a parental control application is a software program that ensures that a parent has control over their children’s online activities. Not only is it used to keep them away from inappropriate content but can also be used to set screen time limits and ensure overall online safety.
When you choose a good parental control app to manage the online activities of your children in a more efficient and age-appropriate manner, you’ll find that a parental control app with a complete security and privacy pack that offers features like web filtering, social media oversight, app blocking, and location tracking will be the best investment you’ll make to make your home digitally safe.
Pick A Strong Anti-Malware
Your kids use all kinds of devices, ranging from smartphones to desktops. This is why it’s essential to choose a comprehensive paid or free antivirus for Android and other systems that keeps your children away from any type of harm that they may encounter online.
Essentially, antivirus or anti-malware software protects your computer from alien viruses and third-party files that may try to corrupt your system and steal your personal information from your devices. Since kids might not always be conscious of the type of content that they’re engaging with and may be prone to falling prey to phishing scams, an antivirus program will ensure that they’re protected and make your home a digitally safe space.
Invest In A Password Manager
A password management system is a great way to keep all your passwords and social media credentials safe from any cyber criminals who may use them for personal purposes. Oftentimes, children can be prone to forgetting passwords or filling out their credentials publicly.
By using a password manager, you’ll be able to ensure that all your passwords are protected, away from the prying eyes of any cyber criminals, and are changed from time to time for added privacy. Smart password managers can also let you know if someone hacks into the password manager, giving you enough time to change your passwords.
Adopt An Open Communication Approach
Last but not least, you need to adopt open channels of communication as a mum to create a safe digital home. Encouraging your children to be curious and learn about how to use the digital space can help them make smart choices. Be open to answering their questions, and spend quality time with your children, learning new things about the internet.
It’s not only a great bonding experience but also reduces the need for keeping secrets and falling into bad patterns. For instance, you could teach your children about stranger danger on social media, web safety tips, and how to conduct themselves gracefully to ensure that they’re being digitally safe.
It’s A Wrap
Making your home a digitally safe space can be difficult at times as a mum. However, making continued efforts to learn and practise digital safety is a great way to become perfect in the art of using parental control smartly. The options given above are just some of the tools that you can use to make a safe digital home. As a mum, curiosity is your biggest tool to ensure that your children are safe online, so don’t shy away from learning more about the digital space to make your children’s online experience positive and interesting.