It is a system widely used by families to control the ways in which children use digital devices, but to ensure that it does not become a “espionage system”, but an educational tool capable of nourishing reflection and dialogue, some precautions must be used
In recent years, the possibilities for children and young people of interact with smartphonestablets and other devices are constantly increasing, both because parents allow children the use of their digital tools, and for the trend – now consolidated in many families – to give the first smartphone already before 10 yearswhich is why the Parental Control becomes fundamental.
Some families instead decide to allow the use of a SIM card-free smartphone, which can only be used within the home through Wi-Fi, and to exploit the Parental Control systems. What is it about? How do they work? It is good first of all to specify that these tools, although in recent years they have become increasingly effective and efficient, cannot be considered one sufficient solution To guarantee the “well -being” of children on the net.
What is parental control and how it is used
What is parental control? A first explanation comes from the Italian translation of the English term: it is a form of “control” that the parent adopts to be aware of the ways in which the children, when not accompanied by adults, use digital devicesand therefore to make sure that there is no access to inappropriate content or to contacts. Gradually, hand in hand with the evolution of the tools and with theIncrease in their usethe parental control therefore aims to check And monitor In general what the behavior of their children is while interacting with devices.
The first Parental Control tools they were designed for personal computer and were integrated into the navigation browsers (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari and others) or in any case provided for the presence of programs capable of blocking access to contents deemed unsuitablethus operating a constant filter on the resources with which the small user could get in touch.
Given the spread of mobile devices in our life, and since these tools end more and more and always before in the hands of the boys and children, the greatest area of development of the systems parental control concerns the apps now To be installed on smartphones and tablets.
How does the parental control works?
Let’s now try to understand How the parental control works. Some systems allow you to operate a filter and favor differentiated access to resources based on those who use the device. A first level is represented by the filters that can be set through the operating system. Let’s see how the parental control is activated on Android and iPhone:
- Parental against for Android. On Google Play, selecting “Menu” and “Settings”, you can choose the parental control options that allow, through a pin, to put limitations on some types of content or to block “in-app” purchases.
- Parental Control for iPhone. Select “Content Restriction”, in the “Web content” section you can choose between “Limit websites for adults” or “access only to allowed websites”.
A second level concerns the use of a software to be installed on PC or smartphones that prevents access to certain categories of sites. These programs operate an assessment of the contents of the pages that are visited and, if key-keywords are identified, deemed dangerous according to age, the blockage is triggered. Others act by blocking sites deemed “negative”trying to develop a list constantly updated by unsuitable pages.
A new generation is represented by Parental Control app (Some examples, available today, are Family Link, Mobile Fence, Kids Place, Eyezy, Cerberus), which allow the parent to be aware of:
- SMS sent, received and deleted;
- incoming and outgoing calls;
- GPS location and itineraries;
- Messenging and social network apps.
In this case, to make the dialogue between the two devices operational is necessary install the application on bothselecting the “parent” role on his own and associating him with the child’s phone account. When the two devices are combined, it becomes possible to operate checks on the uses of the other smartphone.
On Android – but the functions, albeit with different tools, also apply to iPhone – the controls can concern for example: Google Play (the parent is notified every time that a resource is requested), Google Chrome (selection of sites that can be visited), personal data (to prevent them from being modified), the Searches about Google (filtering of content so that those with explicit sexual references or violence are excluded), the App (display of the time of use, possibility of setting limits or blocking access in certain time slots), the position (activate the geolocation that shows where the device and its itineraries is located).
Tips for an effective parental control
As online as it offline, the parent it shouldn’t “monitor” But observe what the child does. The difference is not only lexical, given that the attitude towards childhood changes. The best form of parental control is actually that of accompany the baby in critical moments, making him acquire confidence and making him responsible as he uses the devices. This attitude should concern a lot of moments when the child is at home and uses the screens, as well as i moments offlinetrying to notice unusual attitudes or behaviors and trying to establish a dialogue.
Among the Tips for an effective parental control We underline, first of all, the importance that the first to “control” is precisely the parent. Assuming an active, conscious and critical relationship with the tools in fact means setting not only for children but also for ourselves Reflections on the times of use Digital devices, to understand if they are turned on for professional or entertainment needs, and to question themselves if, during use, we are subtracting precious time from our children or other important offline activities. So, before “studying” the behavior of our children, let’s try to take a look at the “digital well -being” app installed on our device: we could be surprised to see How long we spend in front of the apps and websitesand perhaps decide to set up daily limits for ourselves.
A second advice is directed precisely to the way of managing the tool: if we believe that our child is “Ready” for the use of a digital devicewe have to think about how to empower it. It makes no sense, for example, installing control software without his knowledgenor limit to reproach in the face of excessive use of the device. It could be useful, however, to try to agree together with what are the time limits To be set during a day, discussing and defining them collectively.
Rather than Use the parental control as a “cage” (which can always produce a desire for evasion), the use of this tool should be shared and participatedbidirectional. It could be useful, for example, if the parent shared the data of his smartphone with his child to underline any excesses in the times of use and the need to reduce them. Only in this way is it possible to make the parental control a “espionage system“, But an educational tool that nourishes reflection and dialogue.
Third council: although the evolutions of artificial intelligence are constant and often surprising, we avoid delegating to the technological tool of human functions. The first “filter” should be precisely “human”: if it is believed that some contents are inadequate for their children, a good strategy could be precisely that – gradually, with age – of discuss it together And questioning the possible risks of their use and sharing, to help children understand whether a resource is reliable or not. A significant activity, for example, is Search together not reliable content on a certain topic or, again, trying to look together what it means hate speech and getting in search of comments that convey hate without reason, perhaps based on unfounded prejudices. In this way, the parent becomes “media educator” and it is he, before every technology, the true “filter”.
So, via “Gabbie”, “Guinzagli” or “bugs”, well instead provide brasshelp children orient themselves in cases where they have to go into unspoken content or contacts, awareness of dangers and inviting them to try to enhance the opportunities on digital.
