Managing Our Children’s Online Activities And Screen Time (Part II)
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The emergence of the Internet has changed our lives greatly, and even more so, the lives of our children (news). They are born into the digital era, confronted with the Internet since birth.
While the Internet has made sharing of information more efficient via desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones and other such devices, it can also be every parent’s nightmare, as the source for cyber bullying, viruses, scams, and of course, addiction.
But we cannot, and should not stop our children from accessing the Internet (unless they are very young), because the Internet does indeed provide many opportunities for the learning of Science, Maths, History, etc. It is a virtual encyclopedia and library to a large extent. But there are also sites that would be improper and inappropriate for our children - it is the responsibility of any adult supervising child access to the Internet to monitor what sites their children are visiting.
In my previous blog post, I mentioned the various methods employed to better manage AJ’s usage of electronic devices and his data usage. Today, I would like to expound a little on StarHub's JuniorProtect Plus service we have tried.
The emergence of the Internet has changed our lives greatly, and even more so, the lives of our children (news). They are born into the digital era, confronted with the Internet since birth.
While the Internet has made sharing of information more efficient via desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones and other such devices, it can also be every parent’s nightmare, as the source for cyber bullying, viruses, scams, and of course, addiction.
But we cannot, and should not stop our children from accessing the Internet (unless they are very young), because the Internet does indeed provide many opportunities for the learning of Science, Maths, History, etc. It is a virtual encyclopedia and library to a large extent. But there are also sites that would be improper and inappropriate for our children - it is the responsibility of any adult supervising child access to the Internet to monitor what sites their children are visiting.
In my previous blog post, I mentioned the various methods employed to better manage AJ’s usage of electronic devices and his data usage. Today, I would like to expound a little on StarHub's JuniorProtect Plus service we have tried.
We like that the JuniorProtect Plus service allows us to manage AJ’s data usage and screen time by setting curfews. Basically, what we did was to disable his Internet access 10pm to 6am the next day. So during this time block, he has no access to the Internet.
We also performed a general category block on undesirable websites, and specifically listed out those I personally know but would not like him to visit. If he ever attempted to, a pop-up screen would appear on his mobile phone like this. He would not be able to continue surfing, unless he brought the phone to me to seek for my permission. An sms alert (and/or email alert, depending on my preference) would also be sent to my mobile phone, notifying me immediately. This feature is especially helpful when I am not with him.
You can also opt-in to receive weekly reports on your child’s attempted blocked sites visits. This added service gives us an opportunity to sit down with AJ to review his Internet access and better understand his surfing needs.
Another interesting feature I like is the Location Trail. It allows me to keep track of AJ’s whereabouts all day and sets my heart at ease to know he’s safe.
I often hear parents saying they are concerned with the loss of control over their children’s mobile usage, but with JuniorProtect Plus, we get to enjoy the opposite experience. We feel more empowered in being able to manage AJ’s Internet usage. As at this tender age, he still needs a lot supervision and this service has helped us in doing so. For my household, we would rather not risk the nominal savings over the potential cyber dangers that my child could face. We like what we have tried, and find this service particularly useful for StarHub subscribers.
From as low as $13.38/month, you’ll get a mobile line together with JuniorProtect Plus service to enjoy a peace of mind. You may like to click on this link to find out more.
We also performed a general category block on undesirable websites, and specifically listed out those I personally know but would not like him to visit. If he ever attempted to, a pop-up screen would appear on his mobile phone like this. He would not be able to continue surfing, unless he brought the phone to me to seek for my permission. An sms alert (and/or email alert, depending on my preference) would also be sent to my mobile phone, notifying me immediately. This feature is especially helpful when I am not with him.
Pop-up screen on AJ's mobile phone
SMS alert on my phone
You can also opt-in to receive weekly reports on your child’s attempted blocked sites visits. This added service gives us an opportunity to sit down with AJ to review his Internet access and better understand his surfing needs.
Another interesting feature I like is the Location Trail. It allows me to keep track of AJ’s whereabouts all day and sets my heart at ease to know he’s safe.
AJ left school at 1pm
AJ in enrichment class at 5pm
I often hear parents saying they are concerned with the loss of control over their children’s mobile usage, but with JuniorProtect Plus, we get to enjoy the opposite experience. We feel more empowered in being able to manage AJ’s Internet usage. As at this tender age, he still needs a lot supervision and this service has helped us in doing so. For my household, we would rather not risk the nominal savings over the potential cyber dangers that my child could face. We like what we have tried, and find this service particularly useful for StarHub subscribers.
From as low as $13.38/month, you’ll get a mobile line together with JuniorProtect Plus service to enjoy a peace of mind. You may like to click on this link to find out more.
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