Homeschool Facts

My Perspectives From A Homeschool Parent

A Guide To Computer Parental Controls

May 15th, 2008 • Category: Parenting
by Chris Channing

When one hears the term “parental control,” they automatically think that a program restricting a child’s access to the Internet is too cumbersome to use. Other times, it might hinder their learning by blocking legit websites. Other times, it might not be enough to block against predators and dangers of the Internet. Luckily, technology has created some very effective parental control programs as of late.

Out of all the different features that a piece of parental control software can accomplish, the ability to monitor a computer screen remotely remains to be of the most helpful. After all, parents don’t always have time to stay right by the child’s side when having them access the Internet. Instead, this remote monitoring tool can be used to view the screen the child is interacting with on a separate computer in a different room entirely.

Perhaps the most dangerous of all the Internet dangers is the Internet predator. An Internet predator is especially dangerous since they often try to trick children into thinking they are children as well- and they may try other cunning tricks they have thought up. An online parental control tool can block access to websites that might harbor such threats, not to mention several chat tools can help parents wage their war against online predators.

Children aren’t the only ones to gain benefit from a parental control tool. Viruses, malware, and other atrocities will be less likely to get through to one’s computer if there is a strong parental control filter guarding against such attacks. Filters will be able to scan and find problems in websites or downloaded files, and then give the go ahead when things check out. This can save consumers hundreds in repair fees, simply because of a parental control program.

Another benefit of the parental control program is to simply limit that amount of time a child is allowed to access the Internet. While there are times that Internet access is needed for schoolwork, much of the time children play on the Internet out of boredom. This can deter their health, which is dependent upon healthy exercise and outside play.

Another good note to make in benefits is the advent of peer to peer networks. These networks are common in copyright infringement as movies, games, and music are commonly traded illegally. Children don’t often understand legal terms or laws, which could make their parents pay thousands of dollars in damages through illegal file sharing. Parental controls can block such networks from ever interfering with the computer usage of a child.

Final Comments

A strong parental control program can give parents a peace of mind in knowing that their children are safe when accessing the Internet. The benefits of having protection against a virus or spyware applications can also be well worth the investment. In the end, the small fee that most parental control programs charge for the wide range of benefits they offer is more than worth it- as it will pay for itself again and again in saved damages and repairs.

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