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2 : FILTER THE INTERNET IN YOUR HOME AND ON YOUR FAMILY ’ S DEVICES .
A must-have first wall of protection is an internet filter . While no internet filter is perfect , not having one is a terrible alternative .
There are many different types of internet filters , and they all have strengths and weaknesses . Some are easily set up on your router and are even free . Others use hardware that you purchase and add additional features like setting time limits or monitoring internet activity . Simply put , the more features you add , the more it will cost . Typically there is a monthly fee ranging from $ 3 to $ 10 per month .
The option that I use in my home is CleanBrowsing . 2 They offer a free family filter that blocks adult / obscene content and applies Safe Search filters to Google , Bing , Yandex , and other search engines .
The paid version gives you complete control over what should be blocked . You can pick from fourteen predefined filters ( adult , gaming , gambling , torrents , weapons , social networks , and more ). You can also make your own rules and block and allow any domains or websites you wish . Create custom block pages on the paid plans and see which sites are being visited from your network .
3 : MONITOR YOUR CHILDREN ’ S DEVICES . WHAT YOU INSPECT COMMUNICATES WHAT YOU EXPECT .
While having an internet filter in your home is great for protecting you and your kids when they are on the internet while in your home , what do you do as they get older and take their devices outside the home and connect to any available Wi-Fi hotspot ? What happens once they get a cell phone and have a data plan , and they are able to bypass using your home internet ? How do you protect your kids then ?
The answer is to monitor your child ’ s devices . Depending on what type of device your child is using , many options can help you do this . If your child attends a school that issues a Chromebook or iPad , likely ( hopefully ) software has been installed on those devices that allow the school to manage and monitor activity . You can also do this as a parent .
For younger children using tablets and iPads , I recommend ScreenTime . 3 ScreenTime works on Android tablets and phones as well as Apple iPhones and iPads . ScreenTime allows you to filter and monitor your child ’ s device and gives you the ability to control the device . You can set time limits and schedules . You can allow or block apps . You can set up rewards and penalties that add or subtract screen time to your child ’ s account . If the device has GPS capabilities , it also allows you to track its location . I highly recommend ScreenTime for homes with children and early teens .
Once you have teenagers and they have a cell phone , it is time to add some more features that ScreenTime does not have . Primarily , this is the ability to see texts and messages sent through other messaging apps as well as log phone call data .
The app my wife and I use is MMGuardian . 4 MMGuardian has most of the features from ScreenTime but adds the ability to monitor text and messaging apps . It also will alert you to any suspicious messages or activity such as bullying , sexual references , or suicidal comments .
4 : BEGIN A DIALOGUE WITH YOUR CHILDREN , AND ASK QUESTIONS .
Talk to your kids about technology and media . Ask what they like to watch and why . Ask what their friends are watching and what games they are playing . Talk to them at age-appropriate levels about the dangers of the internet and why you , as a parent , are trying to protect them .
I do not recommend using these tools without telling your kids . Let them know what you expect and how you are going to be monitoring their activity . Communication is essential to build trust with your kids . They need to know that you care about them and are trying to protect them , not just trying to catch them doing something wrong .
As with so many areas in parenting , there is more than one way to manage the issue of screen time and technology in your home . There are many tools and apps , and there is no hard and fast rule about how much screen time at what age is right . My standards for me and my family may not be the same for you and yours . Still , I will reiterate , doing nothing is not a viable option for parents who want to see their children successfully navigating the digital landscape of today ’ s world . ■
Dr . David Warren is a gifted communicator in areas of faith and culture , theology , worldview , education , and apologetics . He graduated from Calvary Baptist Academy in Midland , Michigan , and now serves as the school ’ s Secondary Principal . He is also the Discipleship Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church . Pastor David has been instrumental in keeping CBA ahead of the curve when implementing technology in the classroom . He and his wife , Maria , have four children .
ENDNOTES 1 . “ 6 Tech Habits Changing the American Home ,” Barna Group , accessed April 22 , 2021 , https :// barna . com / research / 6-tech-habits-changing-american-home . 2 . CleanBrowsing Inc , “ DNS-Based Content Filtering and Security ,” CleanBrowsing , accessed April 22 , 2021 , https :// cleanbrowsing . org . 3 . “ Screen Time — Parental Control App for Android and IOS ,” Screen Time , accessed April 22 , 2021 , https :// screentimelabs . com . 4 . “ StackPath ,” accessed April 22 , 2021 , https :// mmguardian . com .
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