Parents Guide on Managing Child’s Online Activity

childrens online activity, internet safety

Internet technologies have become a natural part of the lives of children and modern youth. The computer is not only entertainment but also a means of communication, self-expression, and personal development. Independent knowledge of the information world allows to expand the range of interests of the child, contributes to additional education, encourages intelligence, teaches to solve problems independently. The World Wide Web also meets children’s need for leadership. Children who are well acquainted with the computer and the Internet, more adequately assess their abilities and capabilities, they are more focused and smart.

However, often children, as well as adults, are quite vulnerable to the negative aspects of information and computer technology, as they are exposed to many risks and challenges. These include the issue of privacy, the spread of knowingly false news and “deep fakes” to content with elements of violence and other inappropriate content, internet fraud, etc.

Google VPN Extension for Total Security On the Web

The problem of security in the global network can be solved using google VPN free. VeePN is a unique technology that creates another, more secure connection on top of one connection. Its use for free is appropriate not only for protection in public and unsecured Wi-Fi networks (cafes, restaurants, etc.) but also in-home networks. By downloading a VPN for Google Chrome, you can get unlimited bandwidth, high connection speeds, full leak protection, and Internet security. Practice shows that the VPN Google Chrome extension uses strong encryption to protect all your traffic and hides your real IP address. VPN apps give you access to any blocked website and allow you to surf the Internet anonymously without bandwidth limitation. To install a VPN for Chrome, you do not need to have any professional skills at all. Just go to a specialized online store and download the necessary extension. Chrome VPNs will reliably protect both you and your children online.

Major Network Threats: Why It Is Important to Control Children’s Online Activity?

A child who gains access to the network without VPN and parental controls encounters many threats that he/she may not even be aware of:

  • The threat of malware infection. A whole range of methods is used today to spread malware and penetrate computers. Among these methods, we may note not only mail, CDs, floppy disks, and other removable media or files downloaded from the Internet. For example, instant messaging software today is an easy way to spread viruses, as it is very often used for direct file transfers. Children who are inexperienced in matters of social engineering can easily fall for the persuasion of an attacker. This method is often used by hackers to distribute Trojan viruses;
  • Access to inappropriate content. Today any child accessing the Internet can view any materials. These are violence, drugs, pages with nationalist ideology, etc. After all, all this is available on the Internet without restrictions. It often happens that viewing these pages does not even depend on the child, because many sites display pop-up windows containing this information;
  • Contact with strangers via chat or email. Increasingly, attackers are using these channels to trick children into giving up personal information. In other cases, they may be deceivers who want a personal meeting with the child;
  • Uncontrolled purchases. Although online shopping is still exotic for most of us, the time is not far off when this threat can become very relevant.

These are just some of the threats that a child can face online. Therefore, every parent thinks about the issue “How can I monitor my child’s online activity?”. The answer to this important question is represented below.

How Can Parents Safeguard Their Children’s Online Activity?

Today, there are several common ways in which parents can monitor their child’s online activities:

  1. Parental control software. This method of monitoring a child’s activities on the global Internet is one of the most common today. It allows you to set time limits and block access to certain websites containing inappropriate content. Thanks to parental settings, you can track chat conversations, as well as monitor activity on social networks. More advanced modern parental control programs provide the ability to configure filters at the hardware level and include protection against software bypass attempts;
  2. Mobile parental control. Mobile parental control software has also become very popular today. This is due to the fact that almost every person and even a child has their own mobile phone. Mobile parental control programs have the same set of functions as computer parental control programs. With their help, you can quickly and efficiently set up content filters and text messages, calls, transactions, images, as well as access phone calls;
  3. Router time planning. Parental control router allows parents to establish time schedules and apply web filters. This prevents access to inappropriate websites on all devices that are connected to the router;
  4. Web browser filters. This method was widely spread a few years ago, but it remains very popular to this day. Content can be filtered through the web browser in any convenient way. However, the most effective content filtering method is to use a proxy server. You can do this without any difficulty by setting your web browser to a specific proxy. As a result, every attempt to access inappropriate content will return the child to a blank page because the proxy will not allow the connection. This method has one obvious drawback. It lies in the fact that the child can use a different web browser and bypass the proxy configurations;
  5. Usage control. This method is the simplest in comparison with all described above. Despite this, it allows parents to put a high level of control over their child’s computer usage. Effective implementation of operating system tools allows you to limit the amount of time that children can spend online, as well as control which web pages they can visit.

So, put into practice the tips described here, filter internet, and protect your child from online threats. And don’t forget the VPN for Chrome. The extension will greatly increase the safety of your child in the network.

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