Android Parental control apps are often coined by parents, as weapons in disguise.
Globally, plenty of parents are implementing parental restrictions on kids’ smartphones. The importance of Parental Control Software is acknowledged and accepted by most parents. Do you know why?
What could they be afraid of? Let’s find out!
Why Do Parents Need Parental Control Apps on Android Device?
Ever caught your kids watching adult websites? Ogling nude pictures? Gawking at porno videos?
Well, don’t get scared even if you did catch them. That’s completely normal with kids, and especially teenagers. What can be a possible issue is when they continue doing it and start participating in inappropriate online activities like sexting strangers.
There are plenty of opportunities for teenagers to get carried away. Interest is inundated with contents to sway their mind. Phone applications like dating apps or video chatting apps encourage participation from kids at a very naïve age. Honestly, there is no end to this, but you can take adequate precautions to control your kid’s activities.
But before you do that which contents do you need to protect your kids from?
Here is a list of contents which is not recommended for kids:
● A rated Movies
● Porno Videos
● Dating Apps Like Tinder
● Video Messaging Apps like Snapchat or Line
● Adult cartoons
● Website hosting sexual or nude pictures
And, the list goes on.
How Do Inappropriate Contents Impact Kids?
1. Psychological damage-
Adult contents inevitably seem exciting to kids. However, the biggest drawback is that these contents impact kids brain adversely. Even if they like what they are watching or dislike it, both cases can have serious repercussions.
According to some child psychologists, processing explicit content at such a young age is difficult. It either contaminates the mind or requires more content to stay satisfied. This kind of addiction can lead to depression or anxiety in kids. Parents better watch out for any signs of social isolation or restlessness.
2. Brain development
At a naïve age of 5- 13 years, a child’s mind is still under development at an inexplicable rate and exploring all possibilities. Exposing the mind to unsuitable ideas plays a negative impact on their progress. It not only diverts their mind from the essential thoughts but also makes the mind glued to one single subject.
Cognitive development of the mind requires engagement with creative and self-learning activities. Skills like attention, memory, and analysis cannot be learned on cell phones. It requires a kid’s participation in social gatherings, sports, art, traveling, etc.
Inappropriate content may trigger excitement and happy thoughts for a while, but later it becomes a reason for stagnancy in growth and significant reason for disappointment and depression.
3. Confuse normal relations with sexual relations
One major flaw with sexual content is that it influences the relationship of kids. Watching techniques of physical connection can confuse kids in having the same with their love partner.
Kids often experiment in their relationship, based on what they see on online adult websites. Some kids even resort to sexting with their partners or attempt non-consensual sex. This may sound shocking but is the bitter truth of today’s generation.
4. Eager for more content
Not only kids, but even adults also make the mistake of “asking for more” when they enjoy an experience. Can’t blame the kids’.
Curiosity and the need for more- are two traits which make kids addicted to adult apps or contents. Even social media apps are not meant for kids ( at least the concept) yet kids show a greater inclination towards the social platform. They love chatting, catching up with friends, video calling and what, not without any realization of the time or energy it consumes.
5. Health problems
When kids start indulging in explicit contents, they do get affected psychologically, but at the same time, they start showing health symptoms like loss of appetite, sleeplessness, headaches (due to too much screen exposure), etc.
All these health problems are a culmination of prolonged screen time and impact of adult contents. A kid’s mind gets affected easily and raises thoughts of self-doubt and pity in them.
So, How Can Parents Deal with Adult Content Addiction of Kids?
In case you are wondering -can adult content be controlled? Well, your guess is right. Controlling adult content is nearly impossible. However, you can manage your child’s device.
Parental control software helps in restricting explicit content by blocking inappropriate apps and controlling the screen time.
Parental control for app blocker is a technique where kids are unable to access apps, blocked by the parent device. Only after the child device generates a request, the parent will reconsider the blocked app.
Parental control for Time schedule is another way to handle inappropriate content. Impose screen time restrictions when parents or adults are absent. Once the kids are under adult supervision, activate the device for use.
Besides using parental controls, imperatively educate kids wisely. Parents need to ensure that kids get the right piece of advice and learn valuable lessons at the right age. Here are some basic ways to instill ethical values and protect kids from dangerous distractions:
– Parents should spend more time with kids than without them. Which also means taking time off your busy corporate schedule.
– Fun family time increases bonding and reduces distraction in the wrong directions.
– Involvement in sports or hobbies can be an effective measure to deal with smartphone addiction. Trust us, this works the best!
– Encourage social gatherings and host house parties for your child’s friend’s and schoolmates (excellent opportunity to know who their friends are and how they get along)
– Educate them on do’s and don’ts of online activities and how digital footprint impacts an individual. They won’t learn this in the academic curriculum.
– Advise them to take consent about doubtful links or emails
A smartphone is an integral part of a child’s life. Furthermore, the internet is an excellent source of information which most kids depend upon. Separating kids from smartphones or the internet is a bad idea, instead, resort to child safety and parental control apps on Android device and be carefree about your child’s online activities.
