Parents universally want to protect their children from any type of harmful or dangerous activity. As you well know, the Internet can be a very dangerous place. There are many benefits to using the Internet such as for education and entertainment. With parental control software, you can keep the good aspects of the Internet, while getting rid of the dangers. In this article, we will discuss what dangers can be found online and why you as a parent should use Internet filtering software to protect your children.
The biggest fear for any parent is for their child to encounter an online predator. You warn your children that they shouldn't talk to strangers and how they should seek help if someone approaches them or seems dangerous. When it comes to online strangers, things can get a little tricky. While there are all types of predators online that can cause harm to your child whether physically, mentally or emotionally, the biggest type of online predator is the sexual predator. Sexual predators routinely use chat rooms, instant messaging and social networking websites to contact minors. These people are very good at getting children to trust them and will sometimes pose as a child themselves. Some may be just seeking to live out an online fantasy while other sexual predators are looking to make actual physical contact with the children they meet. This sometimes leads into meeting offline. With Internet filtering software, you can set up filters that will block out social networking websites, chat rooms and instant messaging.
The second concern that parents have when a child is on the Internet is the type of content their child may come across. For any curious child it is very easy for them to find pornographic websites and other adult themed content. Even for child who may not seek out this kind of content, it is very easy for them to accidentally stumble across content that is inappropriate. When using parental control software you take away the risk of your child coming across anything that you wouldn't want them to see. You can automatically block out pornography and other types of content that you do not approve of.
Another benefit to parental control software is that you can improve computer security. If you have ever received a virus or malware on your computer then you know how expensive and frustrating it can be to get it fixed. In many cases viruses and other types of malicious software can gain access to your personal information including financial information. Parental control software is not only beneficial for the child, but it adds an extra layer of security to your current virus protection program.
Then the final reason for parental control software is that it can increase your child's productivity while they're online. It's easy for child or anyone for that matter, to lose time on the Internet. When your child has homework assignments that they should be working on, the temptation of online videos, games and other fun activities may be too much. With Internet filtering software you can temporarily block out any websites that would be a distraction for your child, allowing them to have full concentration on their homework.
There are many elements working to threaten your child online. By taking precautions and using a good monitoring and blocking software, you can keep your child safe and happy while using the Internet.
