Dear Parents,
As the world of technology expands and becomes more and more accessible by everyone, we find it to be more and more important to have open conversations on how to manage everything that goes along with it. What device is right for you? What computer is right for your children? When is it appropriate to use a device? These are just some questions that we ask ourselves. One question or topic that comes up in conversations quite often is about ways to monitor, protect and keep children safe while using the Internet. We put together the following findings from our research on this topic. If you have additional resources that should be shared, or if you have found success using any of the monitoring and blocking parental controls listed below, please let us know. In addition, we will continue to BLOG on topics of interest to you, so be sure to email us with suggestions on other topics.
Technology at Home – 10 Considerations
1. Define your family’s Technology Principles – What are the main reasons we want to have balance in our lives regarding screen time and other activities?
2. Talk weekly with your children about their technology use.
3. Designate device-free family time.
4. Schedule device-free social activities such as sports, lessons, and volunteering.
5. Consider taking devices out of the bedroom during sleeping hours.
6. Create a screen time or media contract. (See resources below.)
7. Be an educated parent. (See organizations below.)
8. Stay abreast of the latest trends through email newsletters. (See recommendations below.)
9. Share and connect with other parents.
10. Deploy monitoring and blocking strategies in your household. (See resources below.)
Screen Time Contracts
Screen Time Contracts from Screenagers
Common Sense Media Family Media Agreement and Device Contracts
Organizations
Common Sense Media - Empowers parents, teachers, and policymakers by providing unbiased information, trusted advice, and innovative tools to help them harness the power of media and technology as a positive force in all kids’ lives.
Family Online Safety Institute - International, non-profit organization that works to make the online world safer for kids and their families.
Psychology Today's Parenting in a Digital Age - This blog explores how parents and children might live together meaningfully in a digital age.
Richard Freed, Ph.D. - Child and adolescent psychologist, speaker and author of Wired Child: Reclaiming Childhood in a Digital Age.
Email Newsletters
Safe Smart Social – Monthly social media tips and updates
Screenagers Tech Talk Tuesdays – Tuesday emails with conversation starters about social media, research, tech tips and much more to incite a dynamic conversation with your kids
Common Sense Media - Age-based movie reviews, app recommendations, and more
Monitoring and Blocking
ARTICLE: Everything You Need to Know About Parental Controls – Great overview of how it all works
Microsoft Family Safety – Block sites, set time limits, and see activity reports
Circle with Disney - Filter content, limit screen time and set a bedtime for every device in the home
OurPact - Mobile guidance for your family, available for iOS and Android
Screen Time - Parental controls for iOS, Android and Kindle devices
Curbi - Parental controls for Android and Apple mobile devices
ParentKit - Control and schedule what is on your child's iPod, iPad or iPhone
NetSanity - Parental controls for iOS
FamilyTime - Parental controls for iOS and Android
Net Nanny - Parental controls for Android and iOS
Mobile Fence - Parental controls and GPS tracking for Android devices
Verizon Family Base - Monitor wireless activity and set usage limits
AT&T Parental Controls - Manage internet and email activity on computers
T-Mobile Family Allowances - Manage minutes, messages and downloads on phones
How to turn on Parental Controls on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch
How to turn on Parental Controls on a Mac with OS Sierra
How to set up Parental Controls for Xfinity Internet
Thanks,
St. Anne’s Technology Department
Glen Worthing
Jennifer Worthing