How to keep wild teenagers at bay with cell phones in hand
The moment is solemn: you have granted your child, a little boy, the use of the PC at home or you have directly bought him the much-coveted mobile phone, the one that allows him to be on a par with his friends and schoolmates, and now you are caught by the anxiety of not knowing which sites he visits, which chats he frequents, what he goes to write, which people he meets ...
For this reason, and because you do not want to apply oppressive control that would then prove even counterproductive, you are desperate for software that may restrict browsing of your children or that, at least, the remote monitor to be able to intervene promptly if they enter virtual "ravines" that they do not perceive as dangerous.
Here are the apps (and software) most valid for parental control of devices:
1) Parental Control Children's Area (Android)
This app allows you not only to access parental approved apps, blocking the others, but also to block calls, send messages or perform tasks that could cost you money. Among the Premium features (paid) there is the possibility to set a timer to limit the daily use of the device and a timer to block the functioning of the apps after a specific period of time.
2) Child Safety Mode (Kid's Shell) (Android)
This app also allows you to create a safe navigation area for children, with apps that have passed parental control, the inability to send SMS, purchase paid apps, etc. Among the features of the Pro version we found interesting: the ability to enable incoming calls; setting a timer to control the number of hours of play allowed; the total blocking of Internet access.
3) Qustodio Free (Windows, Mac OS X, Android, iOS, Kindle, Nook)
The interesting aspect of this cross-platform app is the availability of a dashboard ("dashboard") that allows you to have a glance on the activities, social and otherwise, of your child. It can block porn sites, defend against cyber-predators and cyberbullies, monitor phone calls and, what is certainly appreciated by the most anxious parents, geolocate the child.
In the free version it can be used by one person on one device.
4) Norton Family (Windows, Android, iOS)
A well-known name in the field of antivirus and online security, Norton presents itself with a solution suitable for monitoring their children and family members in general. The interface is very dense with information, including the most visited websites, the time spent on the device, instant messaging activities, social activities etc.
Norton Family Premier has been integrated into the Norton Security Premier security suite.
5) KidLogger (Windows, Android, iOS)
Free software, it basically only allows you to control all the boy's activities, but not to block them. These include: The time spent on the device, the apps used and the social activities. The activity log is limited to 9 days, and can be expanded with the paid versions.
6) Screen Time Parental Control (Android, iOS, Kindle)
App available in two versions. In the free one you can check the time spent by the kids on the smartphone, you can see which apps have been used and for how long, which searches have been carried out and more; in the paid Premium version you can block the use of apps selectively, block all activities, receive a daily report and more. The Premium version can be tried for free for 14 days.
