Parental control is a feature that allows parents to oversee their children’s online activity. It can be used to restrict access to certain websites, limit time spent on websites, and set usage limits for specific content. There are a variety of parental control tools available, and each has its own set of benefits and limitations. To learn more about parental control and which tool is right for you, read on!
Types of Parental Control
It comes in various types, forms, and brands, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. We have classified them into two main types:
Web-Based Parental Control
In the age of technology and the internet being widely accessible, it has always been a concern for parents about what their children access without supervision. Especially when it comes down to sensitive content such as drugs, sex, and violence. This is when web-based parental control comes in. It provides parents with the capability of content blocking. Allows parents to restrict access to certain categories of websites as well as to specific websites of their choosing. As a result, unsupervised children can enjoy a safer online experience.
Software Parental Control
With gaming culture widely spread and games easily accessible from a range of devices such as computers, tablets, game consoles, and mobile phones, web-based parental control is no longer sufficient for parents. If they wish to keep track and prevent the over usage of devices or possible chance of game addiction by their children.
Software parental control, its concept is similar to web-based parental control. But with a broader target range of devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and computers. It also provides parents with a wider range of controls such as:
Application Restriction
Provides parents the ability to choose selected applications individually on devices to be blocked or only accessible during the allocated time.
We’ve made it even easier for parents with Limit Launcher! Our system will do the rest for you once you choose which categories to block, such as gaming, social media, or video streaming.
Browser Restriction
Provides the same function as web-based parental control that blocks and restricts the browsing of selected websites or categories.
Screen Time Control
Provides parents with the ability to limit the amount of time their children can spend using their devices. As soon as the allocated time is up, the devices’ screens are turned off. This prevents children from being glued to their electronic devices 24 hours a day.
What are the benefits of Parental Control?
Generally, parental control helps parents monitor and manage their children’s internet usage, app usage, and social media activities. Let us dive into the top two benefits of parental control!
Safer Online Environment
With resources vastly free and available online, children are able to gain access to them just with a single click without knowing the consequences of it. Hence, you can restrict their internet access at specific hours of the day, ensuring that they don’t engage in any harmful or inappropriate activities online. This way, you are able to prevent the unwanted influence that the internet can bring about on your children. This is certainly important as children at a younger age tend to be easily influenced and believe anything they see or hear. Online trends especially can influence young viewers more easily. An example of this is Mukbang, click here to find out more. Therefore, with parental control it creates a safe and healthy online environment for them without having to be constantly vigilant.
Study and Leisure Balance
Video games and cartoons have been around for decades. It has been entertainment for children and even adults. However, without proper balance, entertainment could turn into an addiction. We have covered some top reasons for what causes video game addiction here. By using parental controls, you can ensure your children are doing what they should be doing before playing games or browsing the web. Thus able to provide children with a balance in studies, exercising, and gaming!
What are the Limitations and Impact?
Considering all the features parental control provides, one might think it’s an impenetrable wall of security for their children. However, with the constantly evolving technology and immerging applications and websites, some fall through the cracks and find their way to your children’s devices. Conversely, parental control is also constantly learning and improving on its shortcomings. Though they have limitations, they are still considered a reliable tool for parents who want to block dangerous websites. Let’s take a closer look at the limitations and impacts of parental control.
Bypassing
As mentioned above, new and undetected applications and websites will still be able to bypass parental control if not updated. Furthermore, children themselves will try every possible way to bypass as they are unwilling to be monitored/spied on around the clock. With that motivation they will go an extra mile to achieve the impossible. Here are some ways they will attempt to bypass the control
Deleting the Application/ Software
As a child, one of the first things he or she will attempt is to uninstall the root of all evil. In most cases, parental control is protected against it. Before being able to uninstall, users must enter their password or log into their account.
Nevertheless, if the children tampered with it and removed part of the files, it would render the software faulty. With Limit Launcher, parents will be alerted when their child’s device is being tampered with.
Figuring out the Password
Getting the password is the most straightforward method children love. Children traditionally try to sneak up on their parents and attempt to remember the password they keyed. Children will also attempt to unlock using important dates or birthdays. Due to technological advancements and easy access to information, children are now turning to the internet for solutions. This has proven useful since there are applications (keyloggers) out there that can remember and extract passwords when needed.
By using Limit Launcher, parents can set up and log into their children’s devices without having to enter any account information. Perhaps you are wondering how. During setup, we give parents the option of scanning the QR code of their child’s device. In case the parents wish to log in to the children’s device after setting it up, we have a request option that sends a request to the parent’s device. Once approved, the children’s device is logged in. Thus, parents will no longer be required to input details on their children’s devices, nor will they encounter their account details getting extracted.
Parent-Child Relationship
A major concern of parental control is how it impacts the relationship between children and their parents. Trust and loyalty are the foundations of a good relationship. Parents, however, should be aware that children perceive parental control as a sign that they don’t trust them and therefore need parental control installed on their devices. Furthermore, children felt their privacy was violated, leading to a sense of insecurity. As a result of insecurity, tension is created, which causes the relationship to be much more sensitive than it should be.
One of Limit Launcher’s core value is upholding children’s privacy. We believe that children’s privacy is as important as an adult’s. Therefore, we do not collect or share any personal information such as children’s location, search history, or messages from the children to their parents
Conclusion
Although parental control has its drawbacks, we believe its benefits outweigh its disadvantages. It provides children with a safe growing environment and teaches them the importance of time management! As well as giving parents like you peace of mind when you are away from your children while at work. Head on over to Limit Launcher right now and experience the latest parental control app for gaming solutions that is made for kids, with parents in mind!
