Research has shown that many children get exposed to information that is not needed at their age, this information includes; pornography, bully, indoctrination into different societies and secret cults, etc. These issues are of great concern to any parent or guardian who wants the best for his kids.
Blocking their access to the internet is not an option because of its numerous benefits. Many parents and guardians don’t know it is possible to monitor everything a child does on the internet.
Some physical methods that can be used to monitor what your child does on the internet include;
1. Making sure he or she does not operate the device where anyone else can’t see what he or she is doing.
2. Keeping these gadgets in strategic positions in your home where members pass regularly. This will help you keep an eye on them.
But the aforementioned physical methods are not always realistic. This might be due to a number of reasons which could be that you don’t always stay with them at home; you are too busy at work, etc.
Apart from them, there are still other more convenient ways to
As technology keeps advancing, many concerned tech developers have built applications that are capable of monitoring any activity a child performs on a tablet, Android OS, IOS, Mac and Windows OS.
These applications are smart and are capable of blocking access to some sites that are known to have corrupt contents, keep a record of all the sites a child visits each day, sends a report to you the parent, and allows you view social media chats and activities of your ward online from their servers.
We found out during our research that free versions of parental control applications are not just effective and have some hitches and so, we are going to review the top 3 premium parental control applications that can be used to monitor what your child does on the internet.
TOP 3 PARENTAL CONTROL APPLICATIONS TO MONITOR WHAT YOUR CHILD DOES ON THE INTERNET
#1 NetNanny:
with the NetNanny app, you can monitor your child’s activities on the internet. It is available for Android, Mac, Windows, and IOS. It has the ability to filter website contents, block pornographic contents and materials, allow or block certain mobile apps depending on your settings, blocks gambling, alcohol and other related topics on the internet, remote administration and reports, email notifications if any improper content is found (sends the email to the parent or guardian), etc.
It does this by becoming the default browser of your child’s device (and disables other browsers). It also prevents the child from the device settings and ensures strict safe search enforcement on the device. It also allows you set the length of time a child can browse with the android phone. It also allows the parent or guardian to log in to the web-based console and manage everything about the family’s settings.
NetNanny has a package which is called the family protection pass which helps minimize the cost of purchase of a license for the product. It allows you protect a number of devices at a reduced cost when compared with protecting only a device. It includes;
i. 5 licenses for $559.99 yearly.
ii. 10 licenses for $89.99 yearly.
iii. 15 licenses for $119.99 yearly.
Net Nanny can be used on different operating systems
i. For windows, it works on windows 10, 8, 7 and Vista only.
ii. For Mac, it works on Mac 0S X, 10.7 or higher.
iii. For Android, it works on Android versions higher than 2.3.
iv.For IOS, it works on versions from ios 8 or higher.
#2 Qustodio:
this is also a wonderful tool that can help you monitor the activities of your ward. It blocks or restricts pornographic contents, limits screen time, monitor their activities on social media platforms, block text messages and phone calls, track a child’s location, has a panic button where anyone can press in times of distress, and sends an SMS to the parent on changes and also visits. It has both a free and a paid version but preferably, I recommend the paid version on the grounds of efficiency. It also has a web-based dashboard where you can view in details all activities carried out by your kid.
Qustudio’s pricing is on a monthly basis and includes;
i. 5 devices for £7.95 monthly.
ii. 10 devices for £15.95 monthly.
iii. 25 devices for £36.95 monthly.
iv. 50 devices for £71.95 monthly.
v. 100 devices for £135.95 monthly.
Like NetNanny, it works on a variety of operating systems; Android, windows, Mac and IOS.
#3 McAfee full-featured parental control software:
Have the same capabilities as NetNanny and qustodio. It blocks objectionable websites in up to 35 categories, monitors social networking activity by recording when personal information of the child is posted when profane or sexually explicit terms are used. It works on Google Chrome and Stock browser, disables any other browser that your child tries to use, thereby helping safeguard the internet for your child.
It allows a parent or guardian to protect files and other things on the internet that he or she declares inappropriate for the child and allows him to view the activities the child has carried out on the internet.
It also blocks online TV and movie viewing on a device based on MPAA ratings, blocks inappropriate YouTube content with its outstanding filtering technology, stops kids from previewing and downloading X-rated music and videos on Apple iTunes and reports advanced activities like real-time message conversations. It has the ability to send text messages and email alerts to you if a child attempts to visit a blocked site thereby keeping you informed of the child’s activity.
Mcafee allows a yearly payment of $49.99 on their application that can be used on 3 Pcs. It also has an android and IOS version.
Over to you:
The three aforementioned applications are not the only three premium parental protection applications on the internet but are recommended because of their efficiency over the years. With any of them, you are guaranteed that your child’s online activities are protected and also, their mental development is assured because they are protected from any inappropriate content.
We will like to hear from you. Make use of the comment box and suggest other premium parental control softwares, tell us how you feel about the ones mentioned above and probably your experience with any parental control software. Your comments are welcomed.
Regards!
