Internet Safety

Students in Grand Blanc use internet-connected devices at school and home. The internet at school is filtered from inappropriate websites, and your student’s school-provided device is filtered, too. But what if you want to block other sites so your student focuses more on learning? What if you want to monitor usage? What if you want to turn the internet off at bedtime so your student doesn’t sneak on their device late at night? Or what if your student has a personal device you want to monitor?

Some parents think their students would never be the ones to misuse technology. Randy Alcorn, a writer, once told a mother, “I was once a seventh grade boy. I’ll tell you right now, you think you’re honoring your son by trusting him, but you are setting him up for a fall. You could hand him a gun, and his life might turn out better than if you just hand him over to the Internet.”

The internet is like any powerful and useful tool: it can do much good, and it can do much harm.
To help your student make good choices with the internet, consider using one of the tools below:
  1. Circle by Disney is my top recommendation. For around $100, you can purchase an easy to use and install device that connects to your wifi router. You can monitor, block, and turn off any device connected to your internet. Circle also has an add-on that works on mobile devices, so you can monitor cell phones that are out of your house. Here’s a review from a parent that has set it up and used it.
  2. Another similar device is KoalaSafe. Here is a comparison of Circle and Koala and a list of many others.
  3. A third option for tech-savvy parents is provided by CleanBrowsing.org. It involves changing some settings at your wifi router. The upside is that this method is free, with nothing to buy or nothing to subscribe to.  It will block adult content and limit searching to safe searches. Another similar service is called SafeDNS. This one has a fee, but might provide more ways to customize what you want.
  4. Sign the Common Sense Family Media Agreement and commit to using technology in a safe and responsible way. Get more family technology tips from Common Sense Media:
    1. Media balance and well-being
    2. Privacy and security
    3. Digital footprint
    4. Relationships and communication
    5. Cyberbullying and digital drama
    6. News, media, and fake news

You wouldn’t let your student ride in a car without safety mechanisms in place; the internet should be treated with the same respect. Investing a little time or money in one of the tools above will prevent many problems from happening in your home.

Let me know if I can help.

This page last updated July 3, 2020 @ 11:39 am.