Safety Features on Computers for Children
If you have young children in your household, then you understand child safety and how important it can be to keep certain aspects of computer use off-limits to a child. For parents who need to take back some of the control over the use of a PC, there are several different safety features available whether your household has a Windows or Mac-based computer.
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Safety Features of Windows XP
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Although the Windows XP operating system does not have a built-in, fully integrated set of parental-control features, some of the programs included with it do offer their own types of safety and security features.
The Internet Explorer browser offers users a way to protect their children's online safety through the use of its Content Advisor feature, which can be found in the "Content" tab of the "Internet Options" dialog box (Tools > Internet Options). Here, parents can easily use a sliding bar to change the level of what content can be viewed in a variety of categories such as language, violence and nudity. Also, individual sites can be set as always allowed or always blocked if they do not employ a rating system.
If your kids watch DVD movies on the computer, Windows Media Center offers a parental-control feature as well (Tools > Options). This gives parents the ability to block the software from playing movies of a certain rating (say, PG-13 and R rated) and can only be bypassed through the entry of the set passcode.
Parental Controls in Windows Vista
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The release of Windows Vista in 2006 marked the first time that Windows contained an integrated set of parental controls. An administrator on a computer running Windows Vista can create limitations on the other accounts of that computer.
Among the features of Vista's parental control are the ability to block certain web content, as well as block certain categories (drugs, web chat, pornography). If desired, parents can limit web surfing only to kids websites, and file downloading can also be disabled for specific users.
Additionally, parents can set time limitations on when a child's account may be used and set restrictions which ratings of video games can be played on the PC (using ESRB rating scale for the United States and Canada). Restrictions can also be set on which of the installed software programs can be opened in a child's account.
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Child Safety in Mac OS X
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Much of the same features that are found in the parental controls of Windows Vista can also be found in Mac OS X. In Mac OS 10.4 and newer, parents can create user accounts with limits on which websites can be viewed, which applications can be opened, as well as which personal files on the computer can be accessed.
For safe Internet use, in addition to being able to block certain websites, Mac OS X offers parents the ability to create a list of approved email addresses of people with whom their child can communicate and choose which individuals their child can chat with online. If a child attempts to email or chat with someone not on the approved list, the parent receives an email notification.
As an added security measure, the parental control log keeps tracks of all activity that occurs while your child is using the PC so that you can always keep an eye on exactly what your child does when you are not actually by her side.
Alternative Software
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Although the built-in parental controls included with Windows and Mac operating systems are improving, no single measure is perfect. For this reason, many parents may want to consider the use of additional software, especially if running an older operating system such as Windows XP.
One of the top third-party solutions, Net Nanny 6.0, offers many of the same features now found in Vista and OS X, in addition to offering real-time content-based web filtering, the ability to record IM conversations, and the ability for full remote management.
Other alternative parental-control software options, including CyberPatrol and PureSight, provide features to limit your child's online time, get detailed activity reports, and even individually customize what each user is allowed to do on the PC and online.
Considerations
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Despite the importance of keeping your children safe on the computer and online, it is important not to lose their trust and make them feel as though you are invading their privacy, especially with teenagers. Apart from using parental-control features, put your computer in a room that you will frequent often, such as the living room. Face it in a direction that is easy to see from anywhere in the room.
In addition to using parental-control features, make sure to communicate with your children about what you expect from them when using the computer and the Internet. It takes more than software to keep your kids on the right track.
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- Photo Credit Photo courtesy: San Jose Library
