In today’s digital age, the internet has become an essential part of our lives. However, it also comes with its own set of risks, especially for children. As a parent, it’s crucial to take steps to ensure your children are safe while using the internet. Fortunately, there are many tools available to help you keep your children safe online.

Here are some of the most effective ones that you can use.

Ways to Keep Your Children Safe Online

Parental Control Software

These allow you to set rules and limits for your children’s online activities. You can use content filters to block access to specific websites, monitor your children’s online activities, and limit the amount of time your children spend online. You can apply these to individual devices or your home network.

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Examples you can try:
Qustodio, KidLogger, Kaspersky Safe Kids, OpenDNS Family Shield

Safe Search Filters

Safe search filters are a simple but effective tool for keeping your children safe on the internet. These filters can be applied to search engines, such as Google or Bing, to prevent explicit content from appearing in search results.

Safe search filters are easy to set up and can help prevent accidental exposure to inappropriate content.

Social Media Account

Many social media apps do have parental control features that can be found in the app’s settings. These features allow parents to monitor their children’s activity on the app and set restrictions to protect their safety and privacy.

Here are some examples of social media apps and their parental control features:

1. Facebook: Facebook allows parents to set up a “Supervised Profile” for their child, which gives them access to a limited version of the app. Parents can control who their child can interact with, restrict who can see their child’s posts and comments, and receive notifications when their child interacts with strangers.
2. Instagram: Instagram has a feature called “Restricted Accounts,” which allows parents to restrict who their child can interact with on the app. Parents can also limit who can see their child’s posts and stories, and monitor their child’s activity on the app.
3. TikTok: TikTok has a “Family Safety Mode” that allows parents to link their own account to their child’s account. This gives parents the ability to control who their child can interact with, restrict the type of content their child can view, and limit their child’s screen time on the app.

Social Media Monitoring Tools

These allow you to monitor your children’s social media activity, including messages. Examples;

• Bark: Bark is a social media monitoring tool that scans your child’s social media accounts for potentially harmful content, such as cyberbullying, suicidal ideation, and online predators. When Bark detects something concerning, it alerts the parents.

• Net Nanny: It can track your child’s activity on popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and send alerts to parents when inappropriate content is detected.

Note that while these tools may help parents monitor their children’s online activity, it’s important to have open and honest conversations with your children. Building trust and setting boundaries can go a long way in keeping your children safe online.

I do not encourage or promote monitoring other people’s activities without their consent. It is important to respect the privacy of others, even if they are your children.