Parental Controls in TV Services: Keeping Kids’ Viewing Safe

In today’s hyper digital world, children have unprecedented access to a vast array of television content. While this can be an easy source of entertainment and education from BabyTV to the Disney Channel, it doesn’t come without risks if not managed appropriately.

This is a huge job for parents, but there’s help available, parental controls. You as the parent can customize parental controls to ensure that your children’s viewing content that’s safe and age appropriate. Once they’re set, you’ll have one less thing to worry about.

Understanding Parental Controls

Parental controls are features included in your TV providers that allow parents or guardians to restrict access to inappropriate content based on its rating, genre or even specific titles.

These controls provide an added layer of oversight, empowering you as the parent to tailor your children’s viewing experience according to their values, maturity level and age.

The Importance Of Turning Parental Controls On

You may think that parental controls are a little bit too much or think only parents who don’t watch their kids use them. But that’s simply not the case. There’s many benefits to using parental controls in their streaming services and they’ll help you be a better parent without the added stress. Here’s some reasons why you should turn parental controls on:

1. Protection From Inappropriate Content: The number one reason to turn on parental controls is setting restrictions. You can revoke access to content that may be unsuitable for children due to violence, explicit language or mature themes. By setting restrictions, parents can ensure that their children only access content that aligns with their family’s values and house rules.
2. Managing Screen Time: Excessive screen time can have negative effects on children’s physical and mental health. Parental controls are a great way to do that without an added task for the parent. You can set limits on the amount of time your children spend watching TV or using specific apps on their tablets, promoting a healthy balance between modern technology and just being a kid.
3. Empowering You As The Parent: Being a parent is hard and in today’s world it’s even harder! It’s impossible for parents to monitor their children’s every move, including what they’re watching. Parental controls are there to help you by providing a sense of control and peace of mind, knowing that your children are watching age-appropriate content even when you’re not actively supervising.

How To Turn On Parental Controls

Parental controls are easy to turn on, even if you’re not very techie. Generally speaking, you don’t need to be techie at all. Here’s what options you’ll have. You can use all or a few.

1. Age Based Ratings: Many parental control systems allow you to set restrictions based on age ratings such as G, PG, PG-13, MA, and so on. Choose the appropriate rating level for your child and be sure to adjust it as they grow and mature. They’ll certainly let you know when they’re ready for more mature content.
2. Content Filtering: Many parental control systems allow you to filter content based on specific genres, keywords and even individual titles. Customize these filters according to your preferences, family values and concerns.
3. Time Limits: Set time limits on how long your child can spend watching TV or playing on apps each day. This helps promote healthy screen time habits and encourages other forms of play without having to hover over your children’s activities.