Nerds On Call: Parental Control for Tablets

Jan. 28, 2013 - PRLog -- If the family computer has been getting a lot of miles on it lately – perhaps you have one or more youngster in the house clamoring for screen time – you may be in the market for a second PC to share the load.  Some parents may consider a tablet PC because of its cheaper price tag, but handing an un-monitored internet-connected device to your child has risks.  Luckily, there are parental controls you can easily activate to protect your child from the wild west of the internet.

Restrict the YouTube App: Even watching their favorite Muppets song on YouTube can be dangerous.  From the “suggestions” of additional content to explore, to the profanity that pops up in user comments, there’s stuff there that you just don’t want young ones to see.  Also, you obviously don’t want your kids to simply search YouTube and watch whatever results from their search.  That’s where Safety Mode comes in.  Activate it by toggling “Safety: On” at the bottom of the YouTube screen – log in to lock it in this mode.  Not only is content restricted, but comments under videos are screened and restricted for profanity, allowing for a safer YouTube surfing experience for your kids.

IPads offer customizable restrictions that, once activated, link to a 4-digit code to modify or unlock.  Under Settings, select General then Restrictions to modify.  You can disable the ability to delete or install apps, purchase in-app content, or individually disable certain functions such as Safari or YouTube.

Note: if you disable Safari but don’t disable the ability to install apps, your child can simply install an alternate browser such as Chrome to gain unhindered access to the internet.

The bad news is that there’s no option to establish specific user profiles, so if you put restrictions in place for your toddler, then want to use the device for yourself, you’ll need to remove the limitations every time.  This means you have to remember to turn them back on before you set the iPad down.  As any busy parent can attest, this is a sure path to failed parental control.

Also, we’ve found that if you restrict applications to 4+ (for example), some applications are completely unavailable, like Netflix, which you may want to allow.

Kindle Fire users with small children should consider FreeTime Unlimited, a subscription service available for $5/month ($3 for Amazon Prime members).  Kids have unlimited access to age-appropriate content such as books, games, movies and TV shows from Disney, Sesame Street, PBS Kids and Nickelodeon.  You can establish screen time limits, even for specific activities.  For example, you can allow unlimited reading time, but limit game play to 30 minutes a day.

Individual profiles for each user allow you to personalize access by who is logged in. This is a definite advantage if you’re planning to share the tablet between family members.  Not only will it mean that your 3-year-old’s games aren’t clogging up your screen when you log into your profile, it lets adults access age restricted functions without having to disable parental controls.

Barnes and Noble’s Nook has integrated parental controls right out of the box.  It supports up to six user profiles and each can be customized for web access limitations and in-app purchasing with separate viewing libraries for each user.  When you set up a profile for a child (enter their age in their profile), by default the store is open but is limited to kid-friendly apps and requires a password before purchase.  You can change this in the settings if you want stricter controls.

Set your own surfing standards with K9 Web Protection (www.k9webprotection.com, free, available for iOS and Android).  It’s a child friendly browser that categorizes webpage content, allowing parents to block specific inappropriate material such as pornography, violence, drugs and gambling while protecting against phishing and malware.  It has enhanced anti-tampering guards and reports to monitor web activities.  You can even set time restrictions, so you can block web access when homework is supposed to be done.

The great thing about a tablet is that you can easily put it away when it’s time to disconnect.  Your best parental control is you!

About The Author:
Andrea Eldridge is CEO and co-founder of Nerds On Call, an on-site computer and laptop repair service (http://www.callnerds.com/) for consumers and businesses. Andrea is the writer of two weekly columns, Computer Nerds On Call a nationally syndicated column for Scripps-Howard News Service, and Nerd Chick Adventures in The Record Searchlight. She regularly appears on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, The CW, and CNN on shows such as Good Day Sacramento, Good Morning Arizona and MORE Good Day Portland, offering viewers easy tips on technology, Internet lifestyle, and gadgets. Andrea recently has begun working with Demand Media to produce content for eHow.com and has written a book for them Smartphone 101: Integrating Your iPhone Into a Windows World.

Andrea is available for Q & A’s, expert tech quotes and will appear on your show, call today! See Andrea in action at www.callnerds.com/andrea. (http://www.callnerds.com/andrea)