The modern age is nothing like when we, the parents, grew up. Our own parents probably didn't have to worry so much about our online activity, but the present day is very different.
The internet is, frankly, an appalling place to let your children roam, so you need to have some control over what the little ones' eyes and ears see and hear.
These great pieces of software will let your kids have their internet time and let you have the control.
Windows 10 Family
What better way to protect kids than built-in parental controls right in the Windows 10 settings? The days of Microsoft ignoring such issues are long past, and now you're able to set up a whole family within Windows 10 and monitor access per person.
That's not just limited to what they can see online. You can set time limits for their PC use and which apps and games they're allowed to use, as well. And because it's linked to the cloud, you get regular parental reports on your kids' usage.
The downside for some will be the requirement to set up a Microsoft Account for each child you add to your family. If you're happy to do that, it's a great option that's free and built into Windows. You can get started by visiting the Accounts section in the settings app.
Content Watch Net Nanny 7
Net Nanny 7 is a paid product that starts at $40 a year, but it's a very good parental control solution.
From PC Mag:
With configuration and reporting moved to the Web, ContentWatch Net Nanny 7 is fully at home in the modern multi-device world of parental control, and it still has the best content filtering around. Net Nanny 7 is a parental control Editors' Choice.
One of its best features is a cross-device internet time allowance, meaning that the cheeky rascals can't play the system by moving to another PC to get around your time limits. It's configured in the cloud, has some pretty powerful filtering and a great notification system.
For an additional cost you can include mobile devices, or for $80 you get 10 devices, including mobile, with the Family Protection Pass.
Qustodio
Qustodio is a highly-rated parental control application, and best of all it's free. Or rather it's free to a point.
From Digital Trends:
Qustodio has a very clean, easy-to-use interface that allows you to sign up for the free version of its software in moments. You manage everything from the dashboard, which includes social media monitoring, individual time limits for Internet use and games or apps, and the ability to track text messages and calls on the right devices.
To get the most from it, you'll need to pay, but at least you can check out the core product first. What you pay exactly depends on what you're wanting from Qustodio.
Particularly nice is the ability to manage how much time your kids spend accessing social media, and it's also not just limited to your PC. Qustodio can help monitor what your kids are accessing on compatible mobile devices, too.
Norton Family Premier
Norton Family Premier starts at $50 a year and has similar features to the other software mentioned here.
From Top Ten Reviews:
Norton Family is great parental control software that has advanced features to protect your child from internet dangers, whether they are on the family computer, a laptop or their smartphone. It is the only internet monitoring program we reviewed that's received a perfect score from AV-Test, an independent and well-respected security lab.
Your reports will show you where your kids are spending their time online, and the tools in Norton Family Premier will also let you protect sensitive information as well as prevent access to inappropriate content.
It's available for some mobile devices, too, so you're keeping control on everything they're using.
Your suggestions
Did we leave some software off the list that should be on there? If so, let us know in the comments.
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