{"id":7037060,"date":"2026-08-10T21:22:34","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T21:22:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/uncategorized\/parental-controls-and-child-safety-protecting-kids-online\/"},"modified":"2026-08-10T21:22:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T21:22:34","slug":"parental-controls-and-child-safety-protecting-kids-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/som2nypost.com\/?p=7037060","title":{"rendered":"Parental Controls and Child Safety: Protecting Kids Online"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Summary: Parental controls and child safety settings can help protect kids online and reduce young kids\u2019\u00a0 access to inappropriate content. To be most effective, controls should be set up on all devices your child accesses and accompanied by ongoing family conversations about digital safety.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

This past week, I visited an elementary school to discuss digital safety with students and parents. During the parent presentation, I felt the angst among caregivers about how to best protect kids online from inappropriate and harmful content, such as porn. Half of the parents in the audience reported that their elementary-aged child had already stumbled upon explicit content while searching for other information online.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Photo by Helena Lopes on Pexels.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With technology and the internet engrained in daily life today, pornography has never been more accessible to children: 93% of boys and 63% of girls report being exposed to internet pornography before the age of 18, with the average age of first exposure being 12 years old<\/a>. (that means many kids are finding porn before the age of 12) It\u2019s important to note that online porn may be violent and highly graphic, making it especially difficult and confusing for children to witness.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

What to Do If Your Child Stumbles Upon Porn\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Unfortunately, it\u2019s not uncommon for children to find porn and explicit content online. If your child discovers explicit content and you\u2019re unsure how to respond, this\u00a0Ask Lisa Podcast episode, featuring psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour,<\/a><\/span> is helpful. The children\u2019s book Good Pictures, Bad Pictures<\/a> <\/em>also explores the topic in an age-appropriate, supportive way. Stay calm, avoid shaming your child, and tell them you are glad they came to you. This signals they can come to you again when they need help or have questions.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Julia M Cameron on Pexels.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ways to Reduce Inappropriate Content on Family Devices<\/h3>\n

Fortunately, there are several ways to protect children online and reduce the likelihood of young children encountering inappropriate and harmful content. The best approach depends on your family\u2019s specific needs and interests, as well as your tech devices and home setup. No strategy is foolproof; your child will eventually find content intended only for adults, but the following tools help.\u00a0<\/p>\n

1. Parental Controls on Devices<\/h3>\n

Start by exploring the parental controls on each device the child accesses, such as an iPad, computer or phone. Privacy settings and sensitive content warnings are often found in device settings. Every major gaming console provides parental control measures to help parents manage their child\u2019s gaming activity.\u00a0\u00a0Smart TVs also offer some form of parental control, even if it is a PIN-protected lock.<\/p>\n

2. Safety Features and Content Controls on Web Browsers, Games and Apps<\/h3>\n

Next, explore the settings in the web browsers, search engines, games, and apps the child uses. For example, Google offers Safe Search<\/a>,\u00a0<\/a>which filters out inappropriate content in<\/span> web and image searches. YouTube offers a restricted mode, \u201csupervised account.\u201d For more protection, only allow your child to watch YouTube Kids<\/a>. You could also install a kid-friendly browser, such as KidRex <\/a>or Kiddle<\/a>. Many games offer parental controls, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here are some additional tools to protect kids online:<\/p>\n