Concerned parents can choose from many different ways to improve their children’s online safety experience. Unfortunately, some people can become confused or overwhelmed in the face of so many options. Understanding the terminology used in online discussions about child protection is a great way to make informed decisions on the matter. the best safety solution for your home.
Most software will fall into one of three categories: Blockers, Filters, or Trackers. Knowing what these programs do is the first step to choosing a child internet safety program that will meet your family’s needs.
Blockers
Some programs are described as “blocking” products or blockers. Blockers use a list of inappropriate sites and block access to sites on that list. Usually the program comes with a substantial list of “bad sites” predefined and new sites are added to the list regularly, allowing the purchase of the program to access updates quickly and freely. Some blocking programs allow parents to manually add additional sites to the device or make adjustments to it.
Although the blocker sounds like the perfect solution, it has its drawbacks. The number of local objects is growing at a much faster rate than any blocking programming producer can put. No “investment” will ever be completely safe.
Filters
Filtering programs restrict access to individual sites, using a database of keywords and blocking sites against it. Algorithms to filter out sites suspected of containing objectionable material. Parents can adjust the list of objection keywords and phrases to increase control.
Often the algorithms used are not highly refined. A filtering program, for example, may block access to sites that use the word “sex.” This will help prevent your child from getting offended by adult material, but it can also prevent a perfectly legitimate search from finding phrases like “opposite sex.” Children looking for a review of Gadget movie watcher for children may be blocked because the article mentions the wedding of “Sex and the City” star Matthew Broderick actress Sarah Jessica Parker.
Trackers
Blocking and filtering solutions prevent children from accessing inappropriate information. Parental monitoring provides the careful ability to see what their children have accessed, when and how. Some programs run silently and stealthily in the background, while others make their presence known to the user.
A monitoring program will not keep the child from contacting intrusive sites, but it will deter them from doing so, when mom or dad will know exactly which sites they have visited.
Track solutions vary in specifications and information. Some may just provide a list of places they have visited. Other programs can track time spent and parents the path children open when they navigate to browsing sites.
Research and monitoring programs can transcend online behavior. The programs can also show parents what else their children are doing online and when. Some programs allow parents to lock up the computer after a certain time or restrict access to specific times.
For some families, any solution may be sufficient. Others want to invest in software that combines elements of all three solutions. There are software programs available that narrow, filter and track behavior at the same time.
Parents are increasingly concerned about the well-being of their children. Armed with the right information and an understanding of the various options available to them, they can do a great job choosing an internet safety program for their child.
