Using browsers gives your child unrestricted access to the internet, which has proven to be harmful since the content on the internet isn’t tailored for kids. As you might know, being exposed to inappropriate content on the internet can permanently damage your child’s mental health. The dopamine that gets induced in your child’s brain causes ADHD and aggression in the long term. Not to worry, though, these effects can be avoided by setting parental controls on your child’s browsers, whether it’s via their device’s built-in settings, extensions, or third-party parental control apps. Let’s learn different methods for putting parental controls on browsers.
Activating Parental Controls on Different Browsers
Each browser has its own parental control settings you can use to limit your child’s exposure to inappropriate content on the internet. Throughout this section, we will explain how you can activate parental controls on Chrome, Firefox, and Opera.
Google Chrome
- Open the Chrome browser
- In the top-right corner, click on the three dots icon and select Settings
- In the new window, click on Privacy & Security, and select Security
- You will have three options to choose from, which will be explained below
Your options in Security are Enhanced Protection, Standard Protection, and No Protection. The option most parents tend to choose is Enhanced Protection, as it offers better protection against inappropriate content on the internet.
Firefox
- Open the browser and in the top-right corner, click on the three-lines icon.
- Select Settings
- Select Privacy & Security
- In the new window, select one of the three Security options (Standard, Strict, Custom)
Your three Privacy & Security options are Standard, Strict, and Custom. The Standard setting blocks most tracking cookies, crypto miners, and fingerprinters. You must be wondering what Fingerprinting is. Fingerprinting is a sophisticated form of online tracking which uses your system’s specifications and sets up a profile on you. This collected information can be used in ways that breach your privacy. The setting most parents go for is Strict as it offers more protection for their children against age-inappropriate content.
Opera
- After opening Opera, click its icon on the top-left corner
- In the popup window, select Settings
- In the new window, select Privacy & Security
- Select Security
- To block inappropriate content, select Protect me from malicious sites.
Although the Opera browser is becoming less popular, it’s still popular among certain communities, and knowing how to put parental controls on it will be useful. Although, if you have restricted your child’s device’s app store, they won’t have the Opera browser as it’s not preinstalled on any phone.
As you might know, there are extensions that work on Chrome and various other browsers as a means to block inappropriate content. Read the next section to find out why and how you can use browser extensions to block inappropriate content.
Browser Extensions for Parental Control
After learning how to set parental controls on browsers using their built-in settings, you might be thinking: Is there an easier way to set parental controls on browsers? Well, yes, there is. You can use browser extensions that are automatically activated every time your child opens the browser. Here is a list of different extensions you can use on your browser to keep your child safe on the web.
Chrome Nanny
This extension allows you to set time limits on the websites your child uses. As an example, you can block Reddit on their browser from 1 pm to 6 pm so as to force them to study or do their homework. You can also add certain URLs to the Whitelist and see how much time your child spends on each whitelisted URL.
BlockSite on Firefox
This extension is similar to Chrome Nanny. It allows you to block websites’ URLs by adding them to a blacklist. You also get the option of adding URLs to your Whitelist to make sure they’re always accessible. The Whitelist option works best when your child uses educational websites on a daily basis and needs complete access to the website.
These extensions are only a small number of extensions you can use to put parental controls on your child’s browsers.
If you’re a parent who cares about getting numerous features, you should try installing third-party apps. Parental control apps, such as Safes, are compatible with most devices and operating systems. Let’s see how third-party apps work and what they offer.
Third-Party Parental Control Apps
Parental control apps such as Safes offer various features that help parents keep their children safe from age-inappropriate content on the internet. Apps such as Safes are designed for setting parental controls and have an interactive user interface and a smooth user experience. Let’s see what Safes’s features are and how they will help you better protect your child from online dangers.
Safes’s Features
URL Blocking: The URL blocking feature allows you to choose the URL you want to block and put it in a blacklist. This features also allows you to block URLs based on their category. For example, if a website is known to have pornography on it, you can choose the Porn category. Using this method, you will have blocked all pornographic websites without having to input their URL manually.
Web Filter: This feature will help you with keeping your child safer on the internet. By using this feature, you can block certain keywords that are associated with inappropriate content. For example, you can block the keyword “porn” and when your kids are surfing the web, any search result that has the word Porn in it will be blocked. This is very useful if you think your child will find websites that algorithms can’t detect but you still want to keep them safe from explicit content.
Web Activity: To keep track of your child’s online activity and know what they’re exposed to, you can use Safes’ Web Activity feature. It gives you a comprehensive report of the sites they have visited and when they have visited them. Additionally, you will know if they have been trying to access blocked websites and how many times they have tried to access them.
Explicit Content Detection: Safes uses advanced algorithms to detect explicit content on the web and notifies the parent about it. This will greatly increase your child’s online safety and will put your mind at ease. By using this feature, you will not need to check the Safes app every couple of hours to see if they’ve been exposed to inappropriate content.