How to Set Parental Controls for the Internet
The Internet can be a place of great learning for children, and also great danger. Many parents worry about protecting their children from Internet predators. Parents also worry that their children may stumble upon one of many unsavory websites. Thankfully, both the Windows and Mac operating systems offer sophisticated, built-in parental controls to protect family members from the negative side of the Internet. Learn how to set parental controls for the Internet to let your children browse the web without encountering its darker side.
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Instructions
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Open Internet Explorer, the default web browser included in all copies of the Microsoft Windows operating system. If you are using a Mac, open the Safari web browser.
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Click on "Tools" in the top Internet Explorer menu bar if you are using a PC. If you are using a Mac, skip to Step 4. Select "Internet Options." In the popup dialog box that appears, click on the tab that reads "Content" and click the button next to "Content Adviser."
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Click on the "Ratings" tab. Windows ranks web content by various criteria, such as violence and language. Adjust the accepted levels for the age and comfort level of your family. If your child tries to access a website that fails to meet the criteria of the levels you set, the page will not be displayed. You can also set custom websites in the "Approved Sites" tab. For example, some websites (such as encyclopedia entries) may fail the level criteria you set and need to be manually added to the listing of approved sites.
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Click the Apple icon in the top of your screen if you are using a Mac. If you are using Windows, skip to Step 5. Select "System Preferences." In the dialog box that appears, click the yellow icon that reads "Parental Controls." Click the padlock icon to enable Parental Controls. The Mac will check visited websites against a database to ensure the website is family-friendly. You may also turn on built-in tracking software to log all the sites that your child visits, and have the log emailed to you on a regular schedule.
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Educate your children on the basics of Internet safety. Teach them how to be discerning when posting on social networks such as Myspace and Facebook, and tell them the warning signs of an Internet predator. Explain the dangers of sharing personal information online. Instill Internet safety values in them from an early age to give them the tools and education to protect themselves from the unsavory side of the web.
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Tips & Warnings
Parental controls cannot always block all unsavory aspects of the Internet, and it's important to teach children to protect themselves by not sharing personal information on the web.
