Dad Barney shares how broadband parental controls helped his young son explore the internet for homework and play, safely and with confidence.
How old is your child, and how do they use the internet?
Barney first started using parental controls about six months ago, when his 7-year-old son came home wanting to go online to research his homework assignment.
“He needed to go online to learn about various topics, like Egyptians and animals, and he had homework like this every week,” explains Barney.
Barney downloaded an app that was free with his home broadband service and used it to set up limits and controls to help keep his son safe, while allowing him the ability to do his own research on the family devices without his Mum or Dad sitting and looking over him constantly.
“He’s quite an independent little boy, and I wanted him to be able to use the internet on his tablet more, but I also wanted to put some restrictions on what he was able to search for,” he says.
Why did you decide to use broadband parental controls?
The first thing Barney did was explain to his son why the controls were important, and how they would help to keep everyone safe.
“He was quite understanding, because we have other controls on games consoles that serve the same purpose. He understood why we wanted to use them.”
What controls did you set up and how easy were they to use?
The online safety tools were easy to set up, according to Barney. He used an app from his internet provider that allowed him to filter out certain sites, such as gambling or adult-related content, and even some topics on YouTube.
“I think that you can filter out sports things or movies and films, and anything obviously age-inappropriate,” Barney says.
The family also uses time restrictions for downtime, so that Barney’s son can play games when he finishes homework.
“As a reward, he can play games and watch things on the iPad,” Barney explains. “I can put a timer on there that allows him to play for a certain amount of time, which I think is just a good habit for him to understand – you don’t need to be stuck on a piece of technology all the time.”
Did you face any challenges?
Barney says that he didn’t encounter many challenges with the online safety tools, but he has noticed occasional false alerts since using them.
“Sometimes my son searches for something that is completely appropriate, but the website will still be filtered,” he says.
“I think for other parents trying to use these controls, it’s helpful to be aware that it can take some trial and error at the start.”
It’s less common now, but Barney still find that some legitimate sites will be filtered.
“You might have to allow a website manually, or turn off specific functions, but overall it works very well,” he says.
What advice would you give to other parents?
Overall, Barney says that the family’s experience with online safety tools has been positive.
“I think our son understands the reasons why we use them, and I would recommend other families to give it a try!”
