Parental Control on Use of Internet in Children: Prevention or Invasion of Privacy?

 

Parental Control on Use of Internet in Children:

Prevention or Invasion of Privacy?

In the episode "Arkangel", from the popular series Black Mirror, an overprotective mother decides to implant a chip in her daughter's brain to be able to control, through a tablet and an application, everything her little girl sees and feels. This system, originally conceived as a Parental Control application, allows the mother not only to see what the girl sees, but also to monitor her emotions and moods and even "filter" images that may harm her, making let the girl see them pixilated.

About the usefulness of Parental Control applications

It is not necessary to go to the extreme of implanting a chip, as the series suggests, to analyze to what extent we are controlling and when we start to invade the privacy of the child.

Nowadays, applications are already available for geolocation, controlling the content that can be seen on the Internet and on television, applications with access to the microphone to listen to the sound of where they are or even record everything that happens on the device screen, through video captures.

Although these tools seem to be the great solution to the problems that every parent of a digital native may have, the truth is that not all parental control applications work the same, nor do they have the same characteristics ; so it is very important to analyze them and choose the one that fits the values ​​of each family.

On the other hand, many controls that at first seem to be very useful for parents, end up being invasive for children ; which ends up causing a reaction contrary to what was expected . Instead of feeling protected and contained, the child feels invaded and seeks to evade these controls.

The key is not in the control that is implemented, but in the dialogue and accompanying them in the digital world , just as we would in the physical world. It is about teaching them, through dialogue and with the support of digital tools, what are the dangers and risks on the Internet , what are their responsibilities, what should and should not be done and what are the ways to protect themselves.

Parental Control applications are very useful when children are younger , when they start using the computer or have their first mobile phone. However, entering early adolescence, these controls will be increasingly difficult to maintain or implement. Therefore, the key is to slowly let go of the controls and transfer responsibilities as they grow and understand how to behave in the digital world.

The goal should be for the child to enter adolescence fully empowered and understanding the risks that exist on the Internet and how they should protect themselves and, above all, with the confidence and tranquility of being able to talk to their parents if something worries them or makes them feel uncomfortable. To achieve this, dialogue and accompaniment must begin long before this age, at the moment when the child begins to enter the digital world.

What is the best way to install a  Parental Control app?

The key for parental control to be a useful tool for both parents and their children is that it is a form of care and not an imposed control. Once the application that suits the values ​​of the family has been chosen, it is best to install and configure it together with the child. Previously, the basic rules for digital consumption and the responsibilities of the child should be established, explaining that the Parental Control application is a way that mom and dad take care of them in the digital world and that they are going to install it together.

Some of the key functionalities that are very useful in parental control and that help protect children, without invading their privacy, are:

App control : Age-based filters are applied to manage the apps that children can access and use.

Web access control: Block inappropriate websites based on age, either individually or by categories.

Time limit for fun and games: Set a maximum number of hours for children to play with their devices. It also manages usage time, for example by blocking access to games and applications during school hours or at bedtime.

Geolocation : Allows you to check the current location of the device at any time.

Reports : The objective of the reports is to know the general behavior of the child on the Internet, in order to find the best moment to release the controls. They include metrics that inform us about the child's use of the equipment, such as the time of use of certain applications, time ranges, among others.

Finally, these reports are also very useful to know which the applications that children use the most are or that they like the most. Knowing their tastes and interests is a good starting point to start talking about digital care.

Remember that your child may know better how an application works or have more skills when using the mobile device, but you know more about the risks and dangers that can lie in wait for them. What better than to use technology together and enjoy it safely.

What do children think about Internet safety?

We talked about how to monitor the use that they give to the technology of the little ones, but what do they think about Internet security? Do they consider it an important issue? What do they fear most about the Internet? These and other questions were included in a survey conducted by Digi padres together with Argentina Cibersegura, with the aim of knowing the opinion of the youngest and knowing how safe they feel on the Internet.

Some of the main data left by the survey is that 1 in 3 children claims to have suffered an uncomfortable situation on the Internet. On the other hand, when asked about what they fear most about the Internet, the main fears were: that they steal their access codes and impersonate them, that they find out data or personal information and that photos of them are sent among their contacts.