7 ways parents can manage web-connected devices in the home

Almost one in three teens are accessing the internet between 10pm and midnight*.

1. Thirty-nine per cent of teens use a tablet to go online. Parental control tools are available for Apple’s iOS and Android.
2. Forty-seven per cent of teens play games and PC’s online. Playstation, Xbox, Wii and Steam have parental controls.
3. Sixty-four per cent of teens stream video on YouTube and TV. YouTube and YouTube Kids have a safety mode; YouTube Red offers ad-free videos. Netflix and Stan offer age-based settings.
4. Seventy-four per cent of teens use a computer to go online. Microsoft Windows and Apples’s MAC OSX offer family restrictions and monitoring.
5. Seventy-eight per cent of teens research and browse on the internet. Safe search settings are available for Google Safe Search, Google Chrome and Yahoo7.
6. Eighty per cent use a smart phone. Telstra Mobile Protect, Vodafone Guardian, Apple iOS and Android have safety options.
7. Eight-six per cent have home broadband access. Telstra provides parental control tools and homework time blackouts; Optus and Vodafone provide guidance on tools.

Parental controls can keep kids safe on many screens.

They can:

• Block sexually explicit sites
• Set screen time limits
• Block in-app purchases
• Block numbers and SMS
• Allow or block websites
• Restrict chat features
• Allow parental monitoring

RememberNo parental control is one hundred per cent fail safe. Keep children’s trust by using these tools openly at home.