The internet is now a part of every aspect of our lives. Whether it is business, shopping, entertainment or research, we use the internet and so do the kids. It has become a great educational tool that children are using for supporting their learning. There is no doubt that it can be a valuable resource because everything they need to know is at their fingertips. However, there is also a dark side associated with the internet. When children use the internet, they can be exposed to a wide array of problems such as sexting, cyber bullying, and identity theft and lots more. Therefore, it is the responsibility of parents to protect their children from such dangers.
How can this be done? Child monitoring is the answer. Yes, web browsers are used for accessing the internet and you can check their history to see the pages your child visited. But, the problem is that there are ways to get around it. The history section can be modified and deleted as kids have become very tech savvy. Also, children these days tend to keep their smartphones locked so parents are unable to see what they are up to. Luckily, there are some options available and the best ones are:
Using your wireless router for monitoring internet usage
There are some models of a wireless router that are able to keep track of the websites that are visited through the home internet connection. In order to access your router, you are going to need the IP address and type it into the browser’s address bar. You will be prompted to enter a password and if you haven’t set one, you can check the manufacturer’s website for finding out the default username and password. This will give you access to the router and you will be able to check the activity on your network by clicking on ‘Logs’. With some routers, you have the option of specifying websites you don’t want them to access. You can also set up notifications, which means you will be alerted if your child tries to access the websites. When you are done, change the password to ensure the settings cannot be changed by your children.
Using applications for monitoring internet usage
A very unique and effective solution that parents can use for tracking their child’s internet usage is by installing a reliable parental control app such as Family Orbit on their smartphone. There are numerous benefits they will be able to get through these apps. First and foremost, they can tell you exactly what content your child is viewing. Furthermore, as the app is installed on their phone, you will know who they are emailing and messaging. You can track their social media activity and instant messaging apps like WhatsApp. If that’s not all, the apps also enable parents to track their children’s physical location at any point of them. This can give parents ease of mind because they can know where their kids are and where they were.
You can use both hardware and software solutions for monitoring your child in the best possible way.