Family Dynamics, Parent to Parent, Parental Control, Technology

Parental Monitoring Apps: How Filtering Can Work for Your Family

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Somedays, the choices you make as a parent are easy and fun with little pushback from your kids. They may not argue with you when you tell them they must wear a seatbelt if they are going to drive. It’s a normal part of our world and commonly accepted as a precaution to take when in a car. But other choices, such as talking about parental monitoring apps, may be met with more friction.

Fortunately, with Canopy, it’s a little easier because we allow you to filter instead of monitor everything your child does online.

When you have decided to begin using a parental control app on your child’s device, there are plenty of options out there. They all have different features, some better than others. But the one thing they have in common? Being called parental control apps doesn’t help. Most parents don’t want to be called “controlling,” and kids, especially teenagers, don’t love being “controlled.”

Parental Monitoring Apps: How filtering blocks explicit content instead of reporting that your child saw it after the fact.

When these apps were first created, monitoring was required. There was no tech that allowed for filtering out explicit content in real-time or in a foolproof way. Parents were simply sent a report of what kids already saw and did on a device…after it happened by parental monitoring apps. Those conversations were hard because most parents probably wished they could have prevented it.

With today’s tech, it is possible to filter out explicit content before it has the chance to hit the screen of the device a child is using. It doesn’t only block the websites flagged as “adult.” Many websites, including popular ones like Twitter and Reddit, allow porn. It’s nearly impossible to not be exposed to porn accidentally if you are regularly online…and don’t have Canopy.

There’s no need to rely on a report of what explicit content your child saw and then have a conversation to help them understand and respond appropriately. Instead, prevent it from happening in the first place.

Parental Monitoring Apps: How filtering allows your kid to experience freedom and learn responsibility.

Another challenge with monitoring is that kids, especially teenagers, feel as if their privacy is being violated.

Of course, as a parent, you have the right to make sure your child is being responsible and safe online and be as involved in their lives as you feel appropriate!

But there is a way to do that while also giving your child the freedom to explore the digital world and not feel like their parents are “invading their space,” even if said space is an illusion and on a device paid for by a parent.

Kids can use the Internet without having someone electronically look over their shoulders because parents know they won’t see explicit content. And parents get the peace of mind knowing that those they love the most are safer online with Canopy than without.

Parental Monitoring Apps: Let Canopy do the monitoring for you.

You may still want them to have a “digital seatbelt” while they “drive online,” but you’re willing to hand over the keys to the car, trusting them more and more to navigate wisely. Canopy allows them to do this safely.