Dads Ink

The following is a list of resources for monitoring your child's online activity provided by Mr. Ben Eades, Tech Support Manager for The Villages.

Monitoring Online Devices: Resources for Parents (as of 9/21/11)

-These resource links will inevitably become outdated as these companies continually update and revise their own websites.  Do not hesitate to search for words and phrases like “parental controls” and “monitoring” on the companies main website search area in order to get to any new material that they put out.

Microsoft Safety & Security Center  http://www.microsoft.com/security/family-safety/childsafety-steps.aspx

Use Parental Controls or Windows Live Family Safety to:

-Create user accounts for different children (or based on age groups of kids) and you.  Make your account the administrator account, and kids accounts as Limited Users (so they can’t change system files or install software or hardware)

-Block inappropriate content, set time limits, ratings for games, allow only or block only lists based on age

-Monitor those other users’ activities

Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation download location:

http://www.microsoft.com/security/resources/powerpoint.aspx

Microsoft Security, privacy, and online safety brochures and fact sheets

http://www.microsoft.com/security/resources/brochures.aspx

Parental CONTROLS on APPLE mobile DEVICES

iTunes Parental Controls

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1904

iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch: Understanding Restrictions

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4213

Parental CONTROLS on the APPLE mac PC (OSX)

http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/#parentalcontrols

Google  Family Safety Center    http://www.google.com/familysafety/

SafeSearch : must lock settings with gmail account : doesn’t block other search engine results : Can use on phone (but not lock?)

YouTube Safety Mode: Not 100% accurate (no filtering is), can lock safety settings with your YouTube password???

Android Market Ratings: uses a PIN to lock the settings:  “This flag and removal system has proven to be extraordinarily successful at YouTube and continues to facilitate the openness that is intrinsic to the Web. Thirty-five hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, ensuring maximum innovation and expression. The platform effectively relies on a community of users to police and monitor its content. We hope to replicate if not improve upon this model.”

Advice from Partners: Good area to explore and learn more about the issues

Video Tips from Google Parents: Vic Gundotra, Vice President Engineering, Google – “It is incredibly important for parents to stay involved.  It is a mistake to allow children to have unlimited, unmonitored access to the internet.  Certainly you wouldn’t leave your child alone in the middle of a city.”

More Resources: Faux Paw the Techno Cat internet safety series for children

Other resources

GetNetWise.org -  “Other”  Monitoring Tools List (44 results as of 9/20/11)

http://kids.getnetwise.org/tools/monitors

GetNetWise.org Online Safety Guide, Tools for Family, Web Sites for Kids, Reporting trouble

http://kids.getnetwise.org/

Internet Safety Tips for Parents, Kids, Sample Contracts in English and Spanish

Family Online Safety Institute http://www.fosi.org/

ParentFurther.com – Online Safety, Mobile Technology, Social Networking, Video Games

http://www.parentfurther.com/technology-media/activitiesandquizzes/decactivity.shtml

Internet Safety Educator – educational blog, tons of information and resources

http://internetsafetyeducator.com/

Parental Controls on Gaming Consoles

  http://internetsafetyadvisor.squarespace.com/my-newspaper-columns/  - Good overview newspaper article for parents.

Xbox Family Center

http://www.xbox.com/en-US/Live/Family

Nintendo Support for the Wii (and their other gaming consoles – Nintendo DS and 3DS)

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/wii/en_na/settingsParentalControls.jsp

Sony Playstation PS3 and PSP Security Settings

http://us.playstation.com/support/parents/index.htm

Parental Controls on television cable boxes

Comcast – for cable and DVR subscribers

http://www.comcast.com/Corporate/Customers/ParentalControls.html

Insight Cable Parental Controls

http://www.myinsight.com/documents/help/ParentalControlsTips.pdf

DirecTV Parental Controls

http://support.directv.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1766/~/parental-controls

Dish Network Parental Controls

http://www.usdish.com/dish-network-blog/dish-parental-controls.html

REMEMBER

1. PC and gaming consoles in public area

2. Have a family Contract for Internet Use

3. Be a friend, explain the need for monitoring, enforce the rules

4. Dive in and attack those devices!  -You can learn how to use this software as good as anyone else can, including tech-savvy kids!

5. Teach your kids that: If you wouldn’t wear it, don’t share it