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Stop on Red. Parents guide to web content blocking.

web content blocking for kids, online safety for kids
Every Mum & Dad, guardian wants to make 'Search' safe. Can you muzzle the net!  

Taming the Net for Parents!

Muzzling search and gaming is one of the biggest issues for primary school parents. One of the most frequent questions in our parent and school online safety talks is. Can we block content? What can we do for free? What is available from Google, Apple, Samsung, TikTok, Snapchat, Fortnite and ROBLOX? Spend some money and do it right, we think! Parental control will

  • Restrict access to websites 
  • Limit screen time, 
  • Monitor online activity. 

Well-known products for children's online safety like BitDefender, and Norton Premium 360 will block adult content (porn), violence, hatred, and racist content. They have age-sensitive child-friendly web blocking once you pop your kids' age in. You can tighten or loosen those controls.

They block specific keywords, phrases, or web categories inappropriate for children. Note, the monitoring service is NOT in real-time but reported afterwards. It will tell you that your child spent 30 mins on a NOT child-friendly site or game like GTA (Grand Theft Auto). So you can speak to them about it, reminding them of the house rules.

Money-Tip.  Once installed, switch off automatic renewal after setup. Otherwise, you will pay up to 3 times that for your 2nd year renewal. Bitdefender, Norton will cost about €/£40-75 when buying 5 or 10 licenses. They will include email security, anti-virus and ransomware protection and sometimes a basic VPN. 

1. Use Parental Controls: 

Most modern devices come equipped with parental controls that allow you to restrict access to certain websites based on age appropriateness. You can also choose to block specific websites altogether. For example;

Nintendo Switch
Sony Playstation parental controls
Xbox 

  • Set screen time and update content restrictions
  • Manage your child’s spending
  • Incoming requests
  • Friends & online interactions

2. Install Content Filtering Software

Content filtering software helps you block inappropriate websites and content. They filter out explicit content, hate speech, and other harmful material

Open DNS

DNS Filter

Clean browsing
 

We would recommend Clean browsing from the options above, designed with children in mind from the beginning and priced reasonably.


3. Safe Search Engine: 

content block google, e safety for kids, safe search, book internet safety talk
Perfect, what every parent wants, search for kids

Safe search engines 

  • Google SafeSearch, 
  • Bing SafeSearch 
  • YouTube Kids 
  • DuckDuckGo.com

Google tracks your searches and hides trackers on millions of websites. DuckDuckGo private search engine doesn’t track your searches and the DuckDuckGo browser extension and mobile app block Google’s (and many other companies’) trackers across the Internet.

That keeps your kids browsing history more private, as it should be. DuckDuckGo searches will return reliable sources featuring less clickbait and sites seeking Google's attention with accelerated search engine optimisation. Here's DuckDuckGo.com

4. Set Up a Guest Account: 

If you allow your children to use your devices, set up a guest account. This will prevent them from accessing your private files and browsing history. Set up parental controls on the guest account to limit their browsing capabilities. 

The best online safety speakers we have ever had in School!

Gemma Mitchell St Hilary's Prep School, Surrey.

5. Educate Your Children: 

Speak to your children about the dangers of accessing inappropriate web content and online safety and the importance of responsible internet use. Encourage them to speak up if they come across something inappropriate online. In conclusion, blocking web content for children requires a combination of parental controls, content filtering software, safe search engines, and education. By following these tips, parents can provide a safer online environment for their children and protect them from harmful content.

Handy Connections 

Check Speaker Availability 

Social Media Profile for Kids

Try out NordVPN - Great for Gamers Nord VPN

Articles of Interest

Articles, Links &connections from the Internet Safety Talks site you might find interesting

  1. Is YouTube still safe for kids in 2023
  2. Loot Boxes - What are Loot Boxes & why are they so dangerous? 
  3. Five Things a kid must never share 5 Things
  4. TikTok Safety for Kids - TikTok Safety 
  5. Rules for 5 - 8 year-olds online 5 - 8 Years
  6.  AI Kiddy porn is now a thing  First AI Kiddy porn is here already 
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