I've come to realize there are many parents who don't know how to check what their kids are doing online so I am going to walk you through it for an I-Pod Touch and will possibly add follow-up tutorials on other devices later. I am going to give this tutorial as if to a parent who knows nothing about I-Pods.
1. Know the Password
If your kids have their I-Pod password protected have them tell you what the password is. Don't let them type it in for you. As a parent, you should know what their passwords are at all times. In our home, the consequence for mom or dad not knowing their password is to lose their I-Pod (or other device) for a time period of a day to a few days or many days, depending on how many times it has happened. Let the consequence fit the offense.
And for reference - my kids are 18, 16, and 13 years old. I go through each of these steps with all of them. Age is insignificant to me and should be to all parents who want to protect their kids. Also, this applies to children of all ages who use the internet, very young on up to older teenager.
2. Browse the Apps
Check all of the Apps. Apps, short for applications, are the "programs" installed on the I-Pod. Look at all of the icons on the screen (small pictures) and if any of them stick out to you as inappropriate, click on them and see what the program is. While on the main screen, you can use your finger and slide it across the screen from side to side and it will show more screens of icons for Apps. It is like flipping to a new slide on a slide projector, but with your finger.
3. Deleting Apps
If you find any questionable Apps, you will want to delete them.
To delete them:
** Place your finger on the App to be deleted and hold it on the App until all of the icons start "shaking".
** You can then take your finger off the screen.
** A small 'x' will appear in the top corner of each App.
** Touch the 'x'. A window will pop open that will ask if you want to delete the App.
** Select 'Delete' and it will be deleted.
** Push the round button at the bottom of the I-Pod below the screen to get the icons to stop shaking and for the 'x' to disappear.
It also gives you the option to 'Cancel' in case you accidentally choose the wrong one. There are some Apps that come with the I-Pod that you can't delete, but you can hide those - like 'YouTube' - See 6. Setting Parental Controls below.
4. Check Internet History
This will show you the pages they have viewed on the internet in the past few days.
** Select the icon at the bottom of the screen called 'Safari'.
** At the bottom of the page you will see some symbols: <, >, a box with an arrow in it, an open book, and two boxes together. Select the Open Book symbol.
** Select 'History'.
** Select one of the days. It will take you to another page that will have a whole list with the open book symbol next to each one. Drag your finger upwards on the screen to scroll down the page to see every page visited. If you select one of the pages, it will load that page and you will see exactly what your child saw.
** Select 'History' inside a left arrow at the top left-hand corner of the screen to take you back to the main history page.
** Check each date listed until you have checked all the history pages you can.
** To exit 'Safari', push the round button at the bottom of the I-Pod and it will exit you out to the main screen.
If you find that your child has visited pornographic or other explicit websites you may want to take 'Safari' off their main page and make it inaccessible. Again, go to 6. Setting Parental Controls below.
5. Check YouTube History
This will let you see what videos your child has been watching on YouTube.
** Select the icon on the main screen called 'YouTube' with a picture of a TV set.
** Select 'History'. This will show you all of the videos your child has watched.
** Select 'More' in the left arrow at the top left-hand corner of the screen to take you back.
** 'Most Recent' are the most recent videos posted to YouTube by all subscribers. 'Top Rated' are the top rated videos as rated by other YouTube subscribers. It's a good idea to look at those too because then you can see what your child will see if they choose either of those selections. You may be shocked at the content you find in these two selections.
** Push the round button below the screen on the I-Pod to exit to the main screen and out of YouTube.
6. Setting Parental Controls
** Find the icon titled 'Settings' and select.
** Scroll down with your finger until you find 'General' and select that.
** Select 'Restrictions'.
** Select 'Enable Restrictions' and it will ask you to set a passcode.
** Enter a 4 digit passcode that your child will not be able to guess.
** Re-enter the passcode. Now you can set the controls you would like to set.
Then you will have these options highlighted along with a few others.
** 'Allow':
- 'Safari': On means the internet is accessible. Slide the button to Off and 'Safari' will be removed from the main screen.
- 'YouTube': On will make YouTube accessible. Off will remove the icon from the main screen.
- Go through each item and choose On or Off according to your preference for your child.
** 'Allowed Content':
- Make sure 'Ratings For' is set for the country in which you live.
- 'Music & Podcasts': Select and you can choose to have 'Explicit' turned On or Off. ON is for explicit and OFF is for clean. Select 'Restrictions' at the top left-hand corner of the screen to go back.
- 'Movies', 'TV Shows', and 'Apps' can be set to allow by ratings: G, PG, R, ect.
** 'Game Center': Multiplayer games mean your child can play games with other people online. Adding Friends means they can add other people to their list of people to play multiplayer games with online.
TIP: Teach them how to be safe on the internet when they are young and first starting to use it and have surprise device inspections right from the beginning. Then when they are teenagers, they already know what the house rules and standards are and won't question you when you question what they are doing on the internet. Set clear guidelines and have clear consequences. Teach them WHY you have restrictions for use of the internet. Let them know there are restrictions to protect them, not to punish them. They will understand if you teach them in a loving way as a concerned parent and they will listen. If you didn't start when they were small, start now. It's never too late to teach your children how to be safe.
It is so important to protect the minds of our children. After all... today's children are tomorrow's future. Let us protect them because one day they will be the ones protecting us.
If your kids have their I-Pod password protected have them tell you what the password is. Don't let them type it in for you. As a parent, you should know what their passwords are at all times. In our home, the consequence for mom or dad not knowing their password is to lose their I-Pod (or other device) for a time period of a day to a few days or many days, depending on how many times it has happened. Let the consequence fit the offense.
And for reference - my kids are 18, 16, and 13 years old. I go through each of these steps with all of them. Age is insignificant to me and should be to all parents who want to protect their kids. Also, this applies to children of all ages who use the internet, very young on up to older teenager.
2. Browse the Apps
Check all of the Apps. Apps, short for applications, are the "programs" installed on the I-Pod. Look at all of the icons on the screen (small pictures) and if any of them stick out to you as inappropriate, click on them and see what the program is. While on the main screen, you can use your finger and slide it across the screen from side to side and it will show more screens of icons for Apps. It is like flipping to a new slide on a slide projector, but with your finger.
3. Deleting Apps
If you find any questionable Apps, you will want to delete them.
To delete them:
** Place your finger on the App to be deleted and hold it on the App until all of the icons start "shaking".
** You can then take your finger off the screen.
** A small 'x' will appear in the top corner of each App.
** Touch the 'x'. A window will pop open that will ask if you want to delete the App.
** Select 'Delete' and it will be deleted.
** Push the round button at the bottom of the I-Pod below the screen to get the icons to stop shaking and for the 'x' to disappear.
It also gives you the option to 'Cancel' in case you accidentally choose the wrong one. There are some Apps that come with the I-Pod that you can't delete, but you can hide those - like 'YouTube' - See 6. Setting Parental Controls below.
4. Check Internet History
This will show you the pages they have viewed on the internet in the past few days.
** Select the icon at the bottom of the screen called 'Safari'.
** At the bottom of the page you will see some symbols: <, >, a box with an arrow in it, an open book, and two boxes together. Select the Open Book symbol.
** Select 'History'.
** Select one of the days. It will take you to another page that will have a whole list with the open book symbol next to each one. Drag your finger upwards on the screen to scroll down the page to see every page visited. If you select one of the pages, it will load that page and you will see exactly what your child saw.
** Select 'History' inside a left arrow at the top left-hand corner of the screen to take you back to the main history page.
** Check each date listed until you have checked all the history pages you can.
** To exit 'Safari', push the round button at the bottom of the I-Pod and it will exit you out to the main screen.
If you find that your child has visited pornographic or other explicit websites you may want to take 'Safari' off their main page and make it inaccessible. Again, go to 6. Setting Parental Controls below.
5. Check YouTube History
This will let you see what videos your child has been watching on YouTube.
** Select the icon on the main screen called 'YouTube' with a picture of a TV set.
** Select 'History'. This will show you all of the videos your child has watched.
** Select 'More' in the left arrow at the top left-hand corner of the screen to take you back.
** 'Most Recent' are the most recent videos posted to YouTube by all subscribers. 'Top Rated' are the top rated videos as rated by other YouTube subscribers. It's a good idea to look at those too because then you can see what your child will see if they choose either of those selections. You may be shocked at the content you find in these two selections.
** Push the round button below the screen on the I-Pod to exit to the main screen and out of YouTube.
6. Setting Parental Controls
** Find the icon titled 'Settings' and select.
** Scroll down with your finger until you find 'General' and select that.
** Select 'Restrictions'.
** Select 'Enable Restrictions' and it will ask you to set a passcode.
** Enter a 4 digit passcode that your child will not be able to guess.
** Re-enter the passcode. Now you can set the controls you would like to set.
Then you will have these options highlighted along with a few others.
** 'Allow':
- 'Safari': On means the internet is accessible. Slide the button to Off and 'Safari' will be removed from the main screen.
- 'YouTube': On will make YouTube accessible. Off will remove the icon from the main screen.
- Go through each item and choose On or Off according to your preference for your child.
** 'Allowed Content':
- Make sure 'Ratings For' is set for the country in which you live.
- 'Music & Podcasts': Select and you can choose to have 'Explicit' turned On or Off. ON is for explicit and OFF is for clean. Select 'Restrictions' at the top left-hand corner of the screen to go back.
- 'Movies', 'TV Shows', and 'Apps' can be set to allow by ratings: G, PG, R, ect.
** 'Game Center': Multiplayer games mean your child can play games with other people online. Adding Friends means they can add other people to their list of people to play multiplayer games with online.
TIP: Teach them how to be safe on the internet when they are young and first starting to use it and have surprise device inspections right from the beginning. Then when they are teenagers, they already know what the house rules and standards are and won't question you when you question what they are doing on the internet. Set clear guidelines and have clear consequences. Teach them WHY you have restrictions for use of the internet. Let them know there are restrictions to protect them, not to punish them. They will understand if you teach them in a loving way as a concerned parent and they will listen. If you didn't start when they were small, start now. It's never too late to teach your children how to be safe.
It is so important to protect the minds of our children. After all... today's children are tomorrow's future. Let us protect them because one day they will be the ones protecting us.
Gahhhh! The technology bus drove right past our house. I missed it! This is amazing!
ReplyDeleteWe do the same thing. We have rules like. "Delete the History, Delete the Privilege." "Text Only What You Want Read Aloud To Your Grandparents." It's so easy to just assume everything they are viewing is ok, because they are good kids, but having the rules and surprise checks keeps them "good kids". Thanks for the information.
ReplyDelete