How To Set Up Parental Controls
The Internet can be a very unsavory place. It’s the type of place that, if it were in real life, you’d probably tell your child to stay away from. The problem is, that while there are dark alleys of the internet that pretty much nobody should wander down, there are also collections of knowledge out there that you actually want your children to have total access to. That’s why you need to set up parental controls to try and help keep your child away from the seedier parts of the internet.
To assure your children will always be able to take advantage of the vast stores of information without having them see something that will scar them for life, you need to set up the proper levels of Parental Controls. Most operating systems have some degree of customization built in to them, and it’s just a matter of determining the level of restriction you want. Within Parental Controls, you can choose to block certain websites, to allow access only to certain websites, to access only certain programs, and even to set time limits for how long your children can be on the computer.
For Windows PC Owners
- Click on the Start button, and go to Control Panel.
- Under User Accounts, click on Set up Parental Controls.
- Select which account you would like to impose the controls on, and under Parental Controls click On.
Once the parental controls are turned on, you can read through restriction options.
For Mac Owners
- Click on the Apple Menu and go to System Preferences.
- Click on Parental Controls, and choose your restrictions.
Naturally, nothing quite compares with just explaining smart and responsible Internet usage to your child, letting them know that there are sites which are inappropriate for children to access, and even real-world repercussions for their actions. Remember, you can set up all the parental controls you want, but those don’t cover every computer your child has access to.