How To Protect Your Children From Viewing Inappropriate Images and Videos Online
November 2, 2011
Understandably, most parents are concerned about their children accidentally viewing inappropriate content on the Internet.
Last weekend, I discovered just how easy it is for young children to inadvertendly view inappropriate images and videos online.
Sapphire was watching this funny You Tube Video. She’s probably watched it several hundred times before, unfortunately, this time she accidentally wandered from this video and unintentionally found a video that is completely inappropriate for young children. Call me naive but I was horrified at how easily this had occurred. I knew immediately, I had to figure out how I could best protect my children from viewing inappropriate material online.
After researching this common parental complaint, I learned that there are several approaches to protecting children from viewing unwanted materials online.
1. Adult Supervision-This may seem like an obvious solution but it doesn’t always happen. All computer sessions should be supervised by an adult. By setting a password on your computer, a child will have to bribe you with good behaviour before they’re granted access to the Internet.
2. Education-Engage your kids in an open discussion about Interent Safety.
3. Parental Approved Websites-Set up a “favorites” list for your child which contains parental approved websites that they can freely access
4. Access Safety Modes-Did you know that you can turn on and off the safety setting on many popular sites. For instance, You Tube.
Scroll to the bottom of the main page and click the Safety Mode to On. Your child can now browse videos of Barbie without accidentally clicking on something that is explicit. How can you tell if this safety feature is working? Under Search Results, you’ll see a sentence that says, “Some results have been removed because the Safety Mode is enabled.
You can also configure Internet Explorer to exclude some adult-oriented web sites by following these steps:
1. Access the “Tools” menu.
2. Select “Internet Options.”
3. Select the “Content” tab.
4. Select “Content Advisor.”
5. Click “Enable.”
6. Use the “Ratings” options to decide what sort of content you want to allow this computer to see.
5. Install Filtering Software-There are several free software downloads that block or filter inappropriate material. We use the K9 Web Protection download.
Not only can you block content, you can also view the Internet activity of any user, from the administrative panel. This will give you a better understanding of what content or keywords your child is accessing.
These are just several ways to protect kids when viewing materials online.
This whole “Internet Safety” topic is something I’m continuing to learn about, as I parent my 3 Jewels.
Who wants to share some advice on how they protect their kids while surfing the Internet? Teachers, parents, grandparents? Anyone?
I need all the advice I can get.
Crystal Connell
Designer & Editor of
Three Jewels in my Crown
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Thank you so much for this post! My five year old loves to go on YouTube to view motorcycle races and things like that, plus he’s a little Justin Beiber fan and likes to watch YouTube videos of JB — and sometimes I just have other things to do but yet he wants to be on YouTube… so I just went in right now and changed that setting! I had no idea that setting option was even there!
I didn’t know either until I did a little homework of my own. Thanks for the comment
I mentioned this post on my recent blog post but I can’t copy/paste your button. Am I doing something wrong? I’m copying the code, but when I paste it in, the entire box is there, not just the button.
Weird, let me talk to my tech friend and figure it out! I’ll get back to you
EXCELLENT!!
This is such a concern for me – not only about my 3 Island Jewels, but also everyone’s Jewels. It makes my blood boil that just simple searches for Barbie go to the gutter in a matter of milli-seconds. Thank you so much for passing along these tips and seeking for more. I’m going right to the You Tube setting now……… gotta go protect!
Oh – BTW: You’re a great Momma!~