When I first heard about Parental Control software about 5 years ago, I thought it was a silly idea that would not catch except amongst the religious and the paranoid. Back then, I could not imagine the dangers that truly exist. My kids were young enough that they were not spending time surfing, did not yet know about chat or blogs or forums . . . Life online was safe — it was a convenience, a source of occasional entertainment and news. It was not the cyber hell I have discovered via my children in the last 2 years.

If anyone is capable of teaching their children about Internet safety, that would be me. I’ve been working in the field for 5 years. I know exactly what to tell them to be aware of. I know the variety of tricks used to direct unsuspecting surfers to porn sites, to reveal personal information, to provide payment information . . . I know how pedophiles stalk kids in chat rooms. So I do talk to my kids about safe surfing and provide guidelines for what they can and can do online. But that is not enough – sorry.

Why does every home need Parental Control Software?

1. My 11 year old son is very responsible and careful. He knows how to manage his PC better than I do. But he loves to download video clips and he chooses what he wants to see, often solely based on the title, that may sound interesting to him. Well, guess what? A lot of perverse people out there seem to find it funny to upload adult content and give it cute names from Disney films, sports teams, whatever. So one day, becuase he is responsible, he told me he downloaded a clip and started to  watch it with his 6 year old sister, because he thought it was a cartoon. It was not. Fortunately, he was responsible about it – stopped it, deleted it and told me.

2. On the other hand, I have a 15 year old daughter going through the rebellious phase- big time.  When she is bored, she discovered she can entertain herself by flirting with boys she has not met. The fact that nothing has happened to her so far, to her, is proof that I am overreacting.

So now in my home, there are parental controls on each computer. While i do not feel a need to know everything each child is doing online, I do feel that without parental control software installed, my kids are vulnerable. I want control over what content enters my home. The computer is a medium – no different than TV or magazines. I don;t tell my children they can watch anything they want or subscribe to porn magazines. parents are supposed to manage their child’s environment – it’s called parenting.

So when anyone questions you for  installing parental control software -asking about privacy or censorship, simply explain to them that you are doing what you are supposed to as a responsible and caring parent – you are parenting your children.

With the Holiday shopping season in full swing, parents are finding themselves under pressure to purchase all kinds of hi-tech toys that they could have never imagined would exist back when they were children  – and a talking Barbie was maybe the most advanced toy you could find. We make this assumption that advancements in technology are always a good thing — making our lives more interesting, fun, educational; allowing us to “save” time on tasks that used to require more effort . . . There is a techno culture that pushes us to think that our kids need more and better gadgets to be happy, successful and smart. But take note – Buyer Beware! Do not buy blindly. Continue Reading

Most people are unaware that pornography can actually be addicting. That’s not a joke or a moral judgement. People get addicted to porn and it disrupts their lives and those around them. The Internet has contributed greatly to the porn addiction phenomena because access to pornography has become easy starting from a very young age. Further, people who would normally not have access to porn, suddenly have free, easy, 24/7 availability at their fingertips AND it is even discreet and easy to hide. So how does it effect teenagers and how can you prevent it? Continue Reading

Parents: 5 easy tips for maintaining better control over your children’s Internet usage:

1. Be sure your children know to never give out personal information online. Don’t respond to messages from people they do not know.
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A lot of people talk about the need to brief children about proper Internet use. This has become more and more relevant over the years as the dangers become more prevelant and no one who has an Internet connection in their home is safe anymore unless they proactively protect themselves. But is it enough to set up guidelines? Continue Reading

If you have already decided that you want to or need to monitor your child’s Internet activity, the next question is whether you should do it with his/her knowledge or secretly.

While the decision ultimately belongs to each parent, there are many factors you will want to consider and benefits on both sides. Being upfront about placement of parental controls can prove beneficial. Continue Reading

1. Inform yourself: In order to talk to your children about how to use their mobile phone responsibly, you must first learn more about such devices and get to know the extent of possibilities they provide youngsters.

 A basic interest in technology always helps of course but information can always be gathered from your operator (stores) and non-profit organizations. This is the best way to go! Continue Reading

Optenet has developed a mobile phone Security Suite so that Operators can offer customers protection when using their mobile phones.

Telefónica Móviles de Spain and Orange Worldwide have already chosen Optenet’s technology to provide such services to their customers and help ensure that children are using their cell phones safely.

A new survey of 1,100 youth in the United States– teens ages 12 to 17 – and 1,100 of their parents shows that 54% of internet connected families now use some sort of parental control filter or monitoring software,on their home computers,  up from 41% of internet-connected families who used filters in 2000, the most recent time the Pew Internet & American Life Project surveyed on the issue. In all, about 19 million teens in the US live in homes with internet connections and the number of children living in homes with web filters has grown from 7 million in 2000 to 12 million today. Continue Reading