Safe Surfing Online
The internet like all the good & influential things can be used for good & bad purposes. The information available on the internet today helps many live healthier lives, get better deals from health insurance quotes to grocery shopping, advance education, research & so many other wonderful things. Unfortunately, the same time it is full of inappropriate videos, images & other content that can be potentially hurtful to young minds & in some cases can cause some serious long term psychological damage. Psychological disorders may occur due to many different stressors, many of which are traced back to the childhood (Psychological Disorders). The inappropriate adult graphics or hate content on the internet can potentially be such a stressor. Psychologically traumatic content DOES exist, in fact it can be so bad at times that even adults can be ill affected by it mentally.
For this reason as a parent you might consider protecting your child from such content by using the appropriate software. You may go light on the settings, the more you block, the more your child is likely to look for a way to bypass it. Keep in mind that your child can be potentially more tech savvy than you. Ideally, you just want to block the real ill content and try to trust your child on the rest.
On computer level:
Many operating systems, including recent versions of windows include options for parental control already, so this can be a great feature for you to look in. Filters can be applied on the user level & the browser level. You most likely want to apply them to user level, since there are plenty of browsers that are available to download for free. Spend a little bit of your time configuring the options & ensure you get it right.
On Router Level: The better Option
If you are using a router with multiple computers attached to it make sure to get something more advanced with better configuration options. A good router will let you set parental controls on a certain computer or other device attached to it and use a list of “bad” words to block inappropriate content. Having it set on router level will ensure that your little genius won’t be able bypass your security settings on the computer you set. Also make sure there are no other wireless connections available that can be used.