How to Limit Your Children's Access to Harmful Content (Without Limiting the Safe)?

“The Internet Is No Place for Children" rule does not work anymore. Today online platforms offer opportunities for learning, socializing and entertainment for many children. But there are also things which they may find hard to shield from - and that is potentially harmful content. Let's try to find out how parents can keep dangerous content away from their child without limiting access to useful information.

Why Is It Important?

The Internet is full of content that may harm children: violent, erotic, spreading hatred or extremism. Harmful content can negatively affect children's mental health, leading to the development of anxiety, depression or other mental disorders.

It is important for parents not only to protect children from unwanted content, but also to teach them how to recognize and avoid it by themselves. This is essential for the development of healthy life skills, values and the ability to make informed decisions.

How to properly limit content and not cause rejection in a child? We have compiled instructions that will not destroy the relationship but strengthen your and your kid’s mutual understanding.

Step 1. Open Dialog

Do not try speaking from a position of strength. Today's children are more motivated to learn new things and they quickly master all the technologies they are growing up with. Therefore, strict prohibitions will only increase their interest in the subject and most restrictions will be quickly overcome. Talk to your child as an equal. Give reasons for your decision, but give the child the opportunity to influence it. This is a difficult, but the only truly effective method. If you can explain why some content is not suitable for them, they will try to avoid it themselves.

Talk about what harmful content is and how it can be dangerous.
Explain how to recognize harmful content. For example, it may contain aggressive or offensive language, or calls to violence, or profanity.
Discuss how your child should act if he or she encounters harmful content: for example, report it to you or complain about the post.

Step 2: Set Up Parental Controls

Most gadgets and apps already have parental control features that allows you to restrict children's access to certain sites, apps, or features.

To set up parental controls:

Go to your device or app settings,
Find the Parental Controls or Security section,
Think of a password or PIN and enter it, and
Select the sites you want to restrict access to.

Step 3. Monitor Online Activities

For example, check the browser history to make sure your child does not meet with harmful content. Remember that this is an extreme measure that should not be resorted to without obvious concerns about the child's safety. Such gross violation of personal boundaries can destroy trust that will be very difficult to regain. Before going down this path, try asking your child what they like to do on the Internet, what sites they visit, what apps they use, and why. Put the question in such a way that the child should see that you want to understand them and be on their side, not to scold them. Leave it up to them not to answer.

The Important Thing to Remember Is That:

Content restriction is not a perfect tool fit for all cases no matter what. No method guarantees that a child won't encounter a threat. But parents are able to explain to their children the nature and potential harm of unwanted content. In this case children themselves will form an attitude to it and will be able to consciously avoid it.
It is up to each family to decide about the extent of restrictions. It is worth minimizing the list of restrictions in favor of a trusting relationship with your children.
This is how technology works. Progress and improvement always bring risks. Our common task is to learn how to minimize these risks without isolating ourselves from the benefits.