How to Be in Control of Your Family’s Online Activity  

How to Be in Control of Your Family’s Online Activity  

We currently live in the day and age of the internet. The biggest companies are profiting from our attention and will do almost anything to capture it. How do you ensure the youngsters in your family are actually spending their internet hours simply online gaming with friends?

It’s important to note that the best type of monitoring is done in an open and trusting relationship, rather than sneaking and spying on them without their knowledge. While there are apps that will allow you to “see” exactly what is happening on each device, monitoring every second of your family’s screen becomes a bit of an obsession.

That being said, there are a few ways to ensure that each device on your network passes through some sort of filter to ensure that the content consumed is age-appropriate and appropriate for the viewer.

The router settings

• Getting to the router’s home page

To take advantage of all of your router’s features, you must connect your computer or laptop to it, typically using a standard LAN cable (the cable with an RJ 45 connector). Every router will have its own method of accessing the configuration menu. The instructions are usually printed at the bottom of the package or on the box itself. If you can’t find the IP address (which will look something like 10.0.0.1), type it into the top part of your search engine.

• Logging in 

Once you’ve arrived at the home page, you’ll need to sign in. If you’re seeing this page for the first time, the login information is most likely printed at the bottom of your router or on the manufacturer’s website. However, when you first connected to the internet, you may have created a custom login. Attempt to use the Wifi password. If you created the password yourself, enter it calmly.

• You’re in. Now what? 

Simply turn on parental controls. Depending on the manufacturer of your router, this will be in a different location. You have a couple of options once this is enabled.

The Parental Control

• Limit your screen time.

Your family should be using the internet to learn, explore, and discover new things. These processes are frequently disrupted as a result of the abundance of easy dopamine made available by modern technology. While staying internet literate is important, so is exploring the real world around us. We are not yet in the Meta Verse.

This isn’t an article about the benefits of less screen time, but providing opportunities for everyone to be bored is a great way to spark and encourage creativity!

• Restricting specific sites 

While the advantages of being able to block specific websites are self-evident, this can be taken a step further. Not only can this be used to block adult websites that you do not want your family to visit, but during work hours, you can block distracting websites, which may help everyone stay focused. 

Creating a massive filter for the entire network is one option, but what if one person is grounded, for example, and requires stricter controls? The majority of routers should be able to provide custom control. Netgear, for example, appears to be particularly adept at configuring parental controls.

• Turn off the WiFi.

It’s no secret that the internet is a blessing, and it’s most likely the reason the human race is “running” as fast as it is. There are times when you may want to press the pause button on limitless information, such as during family game nights, dinner, or when everyone should begin unwinding for bed because screen time and overstimulation before bedtime is one of the leading causes of “insomnia”-like symptoms.

• My router doesn’t have a “parental control” option.

You can manually configure some of these parental controls, such as restricting specific websites and limiting screen time, on a device-by-device basis. It is best to search for an appropriate tutorial for the specific device to learn how to do this. 

The internet is a wonderful and entertaining place. When used correctly, it can be a never-ending source of information, however, it has the potential to be the biggest time-waster ever if you are not careful. The power is in your hands. Assist your family with making the best decisions possible.

Guest Article.