Parental Control: what it is, how it works and apps to download

Some time ago, there was talk in Parliament of introducing a ban on the use of smartphones for children under 12 years of age. in the classroom (for primary and secondary schools) and aim for a gradual and supervised approach in the family. A proposal that was then nuanced, but which starts from a certainty: our children are exposed to countless dangers when they use smartphones and electronic devices in general.

The negative effects of smartphones & C. among children and adolescents are now a certainty, so much so that even theAmerican Academy of Pediatrics and the Canadian Society of Pediatrics they stated that children from 0 to 2 years old should not be exposed to technology, from 3 to 5 the exposure should be one hour a day, while from 6 to 18 no more than two hours a day.

According to research byInternet@Minori Observatorycreated to monitor the relationship between new media and minors, at the age of 12-13, eight out of ten children regularly browse the Internet and in 57% of cases they do so without parental control, often stumbling upon sensitive content.

What is parental control

There’s no point in hiding, i dangers of the web to which minors incur are tangible and that is why from November 21st The Agcom resolution has (finally) become operational which establishes new rules on devices with SIM cards registered to users under 18 and which have the purpose of protect minors from online risks. This is an obligation transferred to telephone operators who will have to put in place the necessary tools to block sensitive content, such as hatred, violence, gambling and more.

“State” parental control adds to the already existing tools to supervise and make browsing safe for our children on smartphones, tablets and PCs. Features that include monitoring installed apps and time spent in front of the screen and also serves to block access to certain sites. In these cases configuring parental controls is up to the parent, which must also take care of unlocking requests via your personal password or via a management interface (usable on your personal smartphone or tablet). Specifically, it is a system that can be found both as additional software and as a function already installed and provided by the operating system.

Dialogue and example before the check

«Regardless of how they are made and how these methods work to make the online experience safer for your children, it must be remembered that the relationship with parents is based on trust, so before applying restrictions, talk about it together and try to probe the dangers of the web. At the same time, teaching people to limit their time and online activities can be a valid method to avoid technology addiction problems. Therefore we must not act only with restrictions, but above all by transmitting good habits”, warns psychotherapist Giulia Mazzoli.

How parental controls work

Parental controls are already present and configurable on the devices Android And Apple and allow you to monitor parental controls using an app or administrator page, reserved only for parents. This is a module that can be managed directly by parents and provides a report of their child’s activity, showing the sites visited, the time spent in front of the devices, the apps installed and, in some cases, even the GPS track of the routes taken. This module can also be used to receive and manage requests from children (install prohibited apps, unblock sites blocked by the children module or authorize an increase in the time available).

The children’s cell phone and the parents’ cell phone are interconnected, so that they can change every filter or function immediately of parental control without having to “chase” their children by applying changes to their devices conveniently remotely: parents simply have to access their management panel and apply the necessary changes, as well as manage any requests received from their children via the module assigned to them. Parental control apps and programs they cannot be deactivated by children: the processes that keep the children’s module running start automatically with the system and act as administrators, effectively making it impossible to tamper with the filter or uninstall it (all changes that can only be made by parents).

How to activate parental controls

This program can be installed on all devices used by parents and children. We explain how to do it on various devices.

If you use a Windows PC the functionality exists Family options present in the section Windows Security, or you can download the app Microsoft Family Safety. In both cases you can:

• create a household or add members of your household to an existing family
• Get activity reports on your kids’ online activities and even block inappropriate websites, apps or games
• set screen time limits for children, scheduling when and for how long they can use their devices
• give kids money to spend in the Microsoft Store. You will also be able to see how much they spend and what they buy

Activating parental controls on an Android device starts from create an account for your child, so you can more easily monitor your online activity. To activate a new account you need to enter the settings of your phone, tap your profile picture, select the item add guest and choose the restart option. Once configured the new profile is needed set parental controls on compatible apps, such as the Google Play Store and the Chrome browser.

Alternatively on Google Play Store can be downloaded Google Family Link the free app of parental control by Google that allows parents to regular some parameters of mobile devices of children, like the app that can be installed or the time to spend on the device and set the filter SafeSearch on Google Search. The app obviously requires that each family member has a Google accountsand is designed for i children up to 13 years oldfor which you will have to create a special Google account, which will be similar to the one for adults, but with some limitations. Family Link can also be used for teenagers over 13 years oldbut in this case they can create their Google account independently, and then apply the supervision of the parent.

Here is a complete list of features of Google Family Link.

• Manage parental controls across all Google services
• Manage the apps your child can use
• SafeSearch filter on Google search
• Age restrictions on Google Play Store content
• Filter explicit lyrics on Play Music
• Approve or block apps your child wants to install from the Google Play Store
• See how much time your kids spend on their apps with weekly or monthly activity reports
• Set daily screen time limits for your child’s device
• Set daily limits for individual apps
• Set your device’s bedtime
• View the location of your child’s device
• Remotely lock your child’s device
• View all devices that are signed in to your child’s account
• Play a sound to locate a child’s device

The Apple parental controls for iPhone is a tool that allows mothers and fathers to set up a series of controls aimed at preventing children from accessing inappropriate, unsuitable or paid content. The evolution of parental control on iPhone goes hand in hand with the progress of the devices: the more advanced they become, the more it is possible to carry out limiting actions on content and applications. In general, parental controls for iPhone allow you to:

• Prevent access to all explicit content
• Control and classify web content (browser, Siri, music, apps, books and films);
• Prevent purchases on iTunes and App Store;

As can be understood from this overview, therefore, parental control ensures that the little ones can use the device in complete safety. The activation methods are also the same for iPod TouchFor iPad and for iPad Touch. There is a further function, very useful especially if the our baby is already in that phase in which distinguishes the functions of the smartphone and knows perfectly how to use the device. This is the setting of the Screen Time passcode. Basically, tapping Settings and then Usage Timeyou will be able to set a unique code that will be used to prevent the child from changing existing changes to privacy, settings and other features: a code that will, in short, avoid circumventing our security systems.

Specifically, you can prevent access to

• Content from a specific country of origin
• Music video
• Films and TV shows
• Music, podcasts and news
• Books
• Applications (one of the most serious dangers whenever you entrust your device into the hands of children is the unwanted purchase of applications, songs, films or other content present in Apple’s virtual store)

Other apps that allow parents to “control”

In addition to these parents, numerous can be found on the Google Play Store apps dedicated to parents whose purpose is to monitor their children’s online activities.

Children’s space is an app that allows you to:

• access approved apps and block others
• block calls
• block the sending of messages or activities with a cost.
• for a fee you can set a timer to establish the maximum time during which you can use the device

After the first 30 days of free trial the app allows:

• to control smartphones
• set specific times to use each app and a maximum usage time
• geolocation
• on and offline activities such as apps used and sites searched for
• which apps and sites you opened and visited
• block different things: sites, unknown numbers, calls

This app allows you to:

• limit how much you use your cell phone
• set homework and sleep times
• allows you to be notified if your child leaves a designated area
• block videos, sites, apps
• check messages, calls and contacts

An app that allows you to:

• create a safe zone within which children can surf the internet
• block text messaging and app purchases

For a fee you can:

• enable incoming calls
• check the hours of play and give a timer for the time allowed
• prevent the possibility of using the internet

The app allows you to:

• decide unusable games and apps
• inhibit access to sites
• monitor messages and phone calls