How To Monitor Your Child's Activity on Computer
Monitoring your child’s computer activity can be a great way to ensure they stay safe online. It can also help you see what websites they’re visiting, what apps they’re using, and even how much time they spend on the computer.
You can monitor your child’s activity on their computer by using a parental control software or app. You can also limit the time they spend on their device and track their app and browser usage by using parental control settings on their computer.
We know it takes a lot of work to trust your kids with the internet. It is, after all, a scary place full of danger and crime. In this article, we’ll look at some of the most popular options for monitoring your child’s activity on their devices — whether that’s a phone or a laptop — and give you some advice about which ones might be best for your family.
1. Set Time Limits on Their Device
Setting time limits is the simplest way to keep tabs on what your kids are doing online. By setting specific times when they can use their devices, you’ll be able to ensure they’re keeping themselves busy with things they want to do while also protecting them from being exposed to any potentially harmful content or situations.
This can be done through the Parental Control settings in Windows or Mac OS or even through software like Norton Family.
2. Keep Track of What Apps They're Using
There are a lot of apps out there, and most of them have some parental control feature where you can see what your child is doing or has done on their phone or tablet.
Check out the settings for any apps that could be dangerous for kids (like social media), and then set up parental controls so you can rest easy knowing they’re safe and sound.
3. Limit the Websites They Can Visit
There are many great websites out there — some of which can even be beneficial for your child — but plenty of places aren’t so safe or appropriate for kids under 18. If you want to make sure your child isn’t visiting any sites that might be harmful to them, you can block them from going to certain websites.
You can do this using parental control software or hardware installed directly onto their device. This allows you to block access to specific sites or entire categories of sites based on your preferences (for example, blocking access to any site that contains adult content).
Here’s what you can do depending on your child’s device:
- If your child is using Windows PC: You can choose to enable Family Safety settings when creating an account for your child. Family Safety allows you to schedule and restrict your child’s account usage, block specific websites or applications, and receive reports outlining account activity.
- If your child is using Mac: In addition to activating Parental Controls, you can share screens if you and your child use different Macs. On your child’s Mac, log in as Administrator and select Screen Sharing under Sharing Preferences. Go to „Allow Access For“ and select Administrators. Go to the Finder on your Mac and choose Go: Network. To view the activity, click on Share Screen.
- If your child is using a tablet: Tablets have their own parental control options, which function similarly to the comparable PC operating system options above.
- If your child is using a phone: If your child owns a smartphone, you should back it up to your PC or Mac. Do this to see which apps are installed on their phone. Additionally, switch on the basic security features and any usage limitations you wish before letting your child use the phone.
4. Use a Parental Control Software
Another recommendation is to use parental control software if you’re still not convinced that the above-mentioned options are enough to keep your child safe while they’re on their computers.
We’ve found that Wolfeye Remote Screen is one of the best parental control software out there, and it has all the features you’ll need to keep tabs on your child’s activities online, such as:
- Monitoring live screen: Through an internet connection, this feature allows you to remotely watch the screen activity of a live computer – including applications and documents. You’ll see everything happening on the computer in real-time. It also lets you save or archive recordings, so they are available later.
- Taking regular screenshots: You can set it up to take regular screenshots of your child’s screen so you can see exactly what they’re doing at all times.
- Checking visited websites and surfing behavior: This feature helps you ensure that your child only visits websites appropriate to their age.
- Starting at Windows startup and running invisibly: The software runs invisibly and starts at Windows startup, which means it will always be there for you to check up on. The last thing you want is for your child to uninstall your monitoring software because it doesn’t work well with their computer.
This software is excellent for parents who want to ensure their kids are using their computers responsibly — you can check all the websites they visit and see precisely what programs they’re running.
And if you like it, all of this comes with a free trial! You’ll get three days to test the features and see if it’s right for your family before paying anything!
Conclusion
You can monitor your child’s device usage in many different ways. Still, you should talk to them about what is an acceptable use of the computer and what isn’t.
If there are rules they need to follow, it’ll be easier if they know what they are ahead of time. And you can be sure that they’ll follow the rules better if they understand why they’re important in the first place.
If your child is using a shared computer, consider parental control software or apps so you can keep an eye on their activity at all times.
