We live in a constantly changing world. The current generation, considered the "Tech Generation" , utilize technology from a very early age. How many babies do you see with a smart phone in their hands? Children walking through a store are blinded by a screen their eyes are glued to. So then, no wonder many parents have difficulty trying to navigate the ever changing technical waters of the information tsunami.
Recently, I experienced great shock when I discovered the new requirement for the local public elementary school parents, with children twelve years of age, to buy their children tablets. Of course, low income families would qualify for financial assistance. Of course, technology, used properly, can facilitate the learning environment with many educational opportunities. I will post more on this topic another time. For example, the PBS Newshour published a fantastic segment on this subject. Even homeschooling families utilize such technology. First, when I heard of this requirement, I thought about the costs to families and cash strapped school districts. I won't express my opinions on that one in a faltering economy. I will leave that controversial subject elsewhere. Then, I started laughing and envisioning future news articles and controversies about the increase of "Computer Vision Syndrome" in children. But, once the real impact began to sink in, I began to worry more about child safety. Yes, many parents have figured out how to protect their PCs with Windows Live Family Safety and Norton Online Family. They may have even installed free Kids Safe browsers for the PCs such as Kidzui.com and Zoodles.com. Perhaps parents have even educated their children on internet safety with such sites as NetSmartz.org and KidsSmart.org. Since many devices have access to the internet (gaming systems, phones, computers, etc.) many parents also abide by advice from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and have their children only use their PC, laptop, or gaming system in the family room. Truth be told, I could not find any step by step advice in protecting children who use tablets or smart phones for this "tech generation", who use screens for everything from games to textbooks "on the go". A recent study stated these facts: · 85% of children don’t have parental controls activated on their mobile phone · 68% of parents think children accessing adult content on their mobile phone is a growing problem · 81% of parents agree that they need more information and guidance on how to stop their children accessing adult content via their mobile phones WHAT TO DO? These statistics boggle the mind. I wanted to post a step-by-step guide for parents who may not understand how to navigate the mobile operating system world. Parental Controls are actually easiest on the iPad. The Maryvale Technology Department has posted an excellent tutorial for this device HERE. Devices with the Android operating system remain more prevalent for most families since they have a lower price point, have more availability from more manufacturers, and have software such as Adobe Flash and Netflix. Therefore, for this post, I will concentrate on the Android operating system. The Android Operating System does NOT have parent friendly Parental Controls built into the software. I was disappointed to learn that the new 4.0 dubbed "Ice Cream Sandwich" did not integrate such controls . Perhaps shopping savvy parents can keep an eye on new manufacturers that may build such controls into their own devices. In the meantime, I have some advice on safety and learning tools for the Android system. SAFETY FIRST TIPS Above and beyond, each family needs to determine the amount of usage and services each child may be mature enough for and the amount of restrictions based on the age of the child. Set up each device yourself before allowing the child to use it.
I am NOT against use of such devices for education. In fact, we use them for online textbooks, educational podcasts, books from the library, and so much more. I AM for constant parental interaction and monitoring for the safety of the children. We as homeschoolers have the right to decide though whether or not such devices enter our homes. Public schooled children may not have such a choice for much longer. Either way, I hope this posts helps someone. Check back later for the educational opportunities these devices offer :) Safe surfing! |