PARENTAL CONTROLS Despite Radesky’s rebranding of the concept of parental controls to ‘parental engagement,’ we’ll stick to the original label they are known by for the purposes of this article. Parental controls are usually offered by your internet service provider and can be installed across an entire household. This allows you to choose what type of websites you allow your child to visit – and having the router block access to other devices. This is flexible in the sense you can be selective – you can make sure it’s just your child’s internet access that has prohibited access, rather than the wider family. An alternative option is to buy or download parental control software. This allows you to filter inappropriate content like pornography and violent material, so there’s less chance of exposure to it. DOING YOUR HOMEWORK Getting a solid understanding of what the dangers of the internet actually are is only going to help you adopt healthier online practices. According to a lesson on VLS 2 , once you’ve got that covered, you’ll understand the importance of adopting the following steps:
y Children younger than 18 months are strongly encouraged to avoid screen media, other than video chatting with loved ones. y No solo media use under the age of two. Creative, unplugged playtime is the best. y For older children, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends limiting entertainment media to no more than two hours of high-quality content a day. y Media use during meal time is discouraged, with statistical evidence linking to childhood obesity. CHOOSING WISELY You may not have any control of what your child may stumble upon in the realms of the world wide web, but you can at least ensure you choose devices and apps designed with child-friendliness at their centre. How many times have you had to endure the tinny and insanity-inducing sounds of Peppa Pig on an iPad when trying to have a nice meal in a restaurant? That’s right, touchscreen devices like iPads or tablets are some of the most
1 IN 3 YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE SEEN SOMETHING WORRYING OR NASTY ONLINE JUST UNDER HALF OF YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO ONLINE PORNOGRAPHY IN 2020/21, THERE WERE OVER 2500 CHILDLINE COUNSELLING SESSIONS ABOUT ONLINE BULLYING
IN 2020, THE INTERNET WATCH
FOUNDATION CONFIRMED
OVER 153,000 REPORTS MADE CONTAINING CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IMAGES
Source: nspcc.org.uk/keeping- children-safe/online-safety/
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