The game filters allow you to set filters based on ESRB ratings, or choose individual games from a comprehensive list. These are designed to warn you if your child gets into a conversation in which the other participant is bullying or trying to initiate real-world contact. IM monitoring is sophisticated, with the ability to monitor for certain phrases by category, such as Hurtful Language, Direct Contact and Personal Information. Net Nanny was still better than other software at blocking self-harm sites. However, in our tests we detected a definite US bias, with some UK porn sites slipping through the filters, whereas the NHS sex education site and the Ask Frank drug information site for teenagers were blocked. Although you can't fine-tune the sites covered by each category, you can turn on an option to let users request access to a specific site to create a whitelist. Web filtering is done by category, with 31 available in all. For each account, you can set different levels of monitoring and blocking, and Net Nanny has pre-defined rules for different age groups. Net Nanny will block by default, so users can't bypass it by logging into a different Windows account. You create an admin account and accounts for each user you want to monitor. It can filter secure content (which prevented the use of our favourite proxy software), enforce SafeSearch filters on Google and other search engines, and even monitor Facebook use. Net Nanny's interface is slick and intuitive.Īs well as web filtering, it can monitor instant messaging (IM) chats, and block newsgroup software, chat rooms, peer-to-peer file-sharing programs and games. I wish I had been less negotiating and understanding when they were still young and more, devices out of bedrooms to charge overnight etc. Start as you mean to go on and maybe get an internet broadband blocker (app in your phone for WiFi connections) that can select out individual devices if late night access to devices becomes a problem I had to use this - it lets you set so many limits if you want but beat in mind that internet searches can bypass even best of security on nsfw and security settings so you have to keep an eye on younger ones and look at internet search history abs talk safety - they get 24 hour ban each time mine breach my safety rules or longer if they "don't get it"Īs I said I'm lovely and an overly negotiating parent as I have teens who would quite easily take me down physically if they feel - in their human rights over entitlement - that I'm - in their view - unreasonable I love my DD(13 yo) and she often says a sheepish apology if I lock laptop or block her phone as she won't get off it when called for dinner - I'm quite understanding and negotiate everything with her so it's all about the agreements you make Just as I wouldn’t let a teenage learner driver on to a busy dual carriageway for their first lesson but would keep them to the quiet roads until they had some idea what they were doing, I’m not letting a child on to the internet with no controls over what they can see and who can contact them. But of course you’ll need a continuing conversation about what they might see, who they might be contacted by, things to look out for.Īs you can probably tell, I think YANBU to restrict their internet access. There are some limitations to this, for example you can have YouTube allowed or not, there isn’t any way of allowing only child suitable stuff, but it should cut out most porn, violence etc. Then have a look at the guidance for your router. Make sure it’s installed on any other devices (phones, tablets) they have as well. Then do a comparison of net nanny software (Qustudio is the type of thing I mean), pick one and install it. None of this is perfect, so you need multiple layers of security so if something slips through one, it still might be caught by another - that’s why ideally you have all three.Īs a starting point, I’d google setting up kids accounts on a Microsoft laptop. You can google for Microsoft parental controls and net nanny software, plus you’ll want something that filters what they can access through your router, too.
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