March 26, 2024
By Kylie Self
In the age where technology is ever-so-prevalent, it has been easier than ever for pornographic websites to bombard everyone with their content. You have heard of the pop-up ads, fake websites, and so many other ways that porn makes its way into our feeds, and it seems like there is not much you can do about it without throwing your whole phone, computer, and TV away.
Now that your kids are getting older, they are going to need a cell phone or laptop of some sort, to keep in contact with their friends, with you, for school assignments, etc. According to Common Sense Media, 54% of kids in their survey had been exposed to online pornography by the time they turned 13, including the 15% surveyed who saw porn for the first time before they turned 11. The age of porn exposure is getting younger and younger, and there is hope for you and your kids.
Here are some tips and tricks to help block those awful sites and ads from your kids’ devices, from Common Sense Media:
- Turn on browser filters, like Google SafeSearch: you can use these instructions to help set up a browser filter for any device. Be sure to check these often, since kids can figure out how to turn these off.
- Use parental controls: Using parental controls on any device can let you block certain apps and websites.
- For phones and tablets: Apple devices: There is a Screen Time option that blocks explicit apps, websites, games, etc. Android devices: Set up parental controls on Google Play. These can prevent a child from downloading apps that are not age appropriate. There is also a Google Family Link app that sets filters on websites and apps.
- Inquire with your internet service provider: You can look on your internet service provider’s website or call to see if they have settings that can be applied to your internet that restricts or blocks certain websites or TV programs. These settings may cost money.
- Install software: There are programs out there that may cost money, but they do a good job at giving parents more control over what their kids consume on media. This chart can give you a good idea about what software would be right for you and your family.
We know that as parents, caregivers, teachers, and other child supervisors, we want to keep our children safe. We know what is out there because we ourselves have experienced it ourselves. Many of us know about the dangers of pornography, so even if you think your child is too young, it is never too early to implement safeguards in your home and devices so that they will not be exposed to these things, at least at home. Talk to your friends, school board members, principles, and other parents about the prevalence of pornography, and how they can keep their children safe.
