There are many great, productive things the Internet has to offer for children and teenagers. They can access a world of constantly updated information quickly and easily, streamline their studies and socialize with friends easier than ever.
At the same time, there are predators, pornography and other unsavory aspects of the Web. Fortunately for parents, there are plenty of different sorts of parental monitoring software on the market.
Reasons for Parental Monitoring Software
As the Internet has continued to grow exponentially since its mainstream inception in the early 1990s, threats to youthful users have grown along with it. Parents no longer only need to worry about where their children are in "real life," but also which corners of the Web they're frequenting.
There are many threats out there in the form of predators, illicit content such as pornography and other imagery and information inappropriate for young eyes and minds. Thus, the advent of parental monitoring software.
Products
There are dozens of various products available online for monitoring children's Internet use. Most allow parents to block sites that are tagged as having adult content, or content otherwise inappropriate for non-adults. They vary widely in price and function, and many also will monitor a user's instant messaging and other communications with people elsewhere on the Net.
Keyloggers
For the parent who prefers to keep track of not only the websites his child visits, but also everything his child is typing, there are many "keylogger" programs--programs that record every keystroke by the user being monitored--on the software market.
The best of these programs will run quietly in the background, so your child has no idea his e-conversations and emails are being recorded.
"Sexting" Controls
Twenty percent of the teenage and young-adult respondents in a 2008 study by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy said they had sent nude or semi-nude photos of themselves via the Web, or by cell phone text messaging. The latter phenomenon, known widely as "sexting," can be monitored as well.
As of August 2010, there are several programs, such as Radar and Mobile Spy, that allow parents to keep tabs on all digital messaging communications done via their child's phone.
No Catch-All
Despite all of the advancements in technology designed to give parents control of, and information about, their kids' computer activity, there's no guarantee. As teens and young adults become more technologically sophisticated, some will inevitably find ways to mask or hide their Internet usage. It's a good idea for parents to maintain an open and honest dialogue with children about the risks posed by the Net and learn directly how their children are spending their time on the Web.
