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Are parental controls NEEDED?

yoyo5280

yoyo5280

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 24, 2007
1,910
0
Melbourne, Australia & Bay Area
My dad thinks so. I have some, just to regulate the amount of time I spend on the computer, an anti predator filter :confused:, and a pr0n (?) blocker.

I think that it really depends on age group, and how strict the filter really is. Mine is used MAINLY for just not letting me spend to much time on my mac.

I am 13

P.S. How do I add poll?
 
I can see having a time limit for a kid so they don't spend too much time on the computer.

But I don't really see the point of wasting time trying to set up a block for pr0n. Every 13 year old boy has seen boobs anyways.
 
Parenting is needed, not parental controls. Most parents seem to think the latter is a good subsitute the former.
 
zioxide said:
I can see having a time limit for a kid so they don't spend too much time on the computer.

But I don't really see the point of wasting time trying to set up a block for pr0n. Every 13 year old boy has seen boobs anyways.
Click to expand...

Boobs, yes, it's the rest that I think most parents are worried about.

I can see using parental controls in the future. My boy is only 2, and I expect the controls to be completely different in about 7 years or so time when I want them, how I'll use them I don't know right now. I imagine the internet will be a very different place in 7 years.

I also remember the difficulties it caused to me when I was confronted with my online activity. (difficulties in parent/me relations) I was 18 at the time and it was nothing illegal, it was about the ocntent of my angsty blog, and it felt like a total invasion. I'm not sure how I would have reacted at 13, there being little internet to speak of back then.
 
I'm 14. I got my mom's old PowerBook G4 when she got a MBP and she talked about parental controls when she first gave it to me (~1 year ago), but she then told me that she trusted me that I wouldn't d anything dumb or stupid. She also said that if I did get into trouble, I'd tell her.

I can understand a time thingy, but not the other two. Your parents should trust you.
 
yg17 said:
Parenting is needed, not parental controls. Most parents seem to think the latter is a good subsitute the former.
Click to expand...

Excellent Comment.

I've never had any restrictions ever really. My parents trust me.
 
yg17 said:
Parenting is needed, not parental controls. Most parents seem to think the latter is a good subsitute the former.
Click to expand...

i agree. there are always some kids that need 'parental controls' as a challenge to work around too ;)
 
My parents also trust me. But, I have been spoken to by a predator before (acting in a kind trusting way but wanting info as-well), and once accidently I have gotten...stuff...:)...when searching up completely safe things on the internet. I searched for thesaurus on the internet and got pr0n. THESAURUS!

My dad is a little bit over protective, but he is caring. Not lazy. Something that you guys don't seem to understand.
 
We're just sharing our opinions on Parental controls. I don't think any of us intended to make out like your father is the same, sorry yoyo5280!

I think its just a commonly held thought that some parents just use these filters and restrictions without explaining the risks and going in detail with their kids about the internet...and sex education ;)

I'm 21 and the net was just becoming mainstream when I was 13. Most people didn't know how these chatrooms and the like were being used. I think as long as you know what to look out for and generally not giving out any info about yourself, your safe. Its all about common sense.
 
dogtanian said:
I think its just a commonly held thought that some parents just use these filters and restrictions without explaining the risks and going in detail with their kids about the internet...and sex education ;)
Click to expand...
My parents have explained the risks, and yes, at school, I have and sex ed.

dogtanian said:
I'm 21 and the net was just becoming mainstream when I was 13. Most people didn't know how these chatrooms and the like were being used. I think as long as you know what to look out for and generally not giving out any info about yourself, your safe. Its all about common sense.
Click to expand...
This is where i get all confused. My dad KNOWS that I am smart on the internet, he has admitted it. When A random stranger who got my MSN (and I don't know how, I had never ever ever heard of him before) started talking to me I immediately IMed my dad with the username asking if HE knew them. Nope. The guy pressured me for my name and where I live but I blocked him and thats all. I think that the filter is handy, but I (ME) don't need it. Sometimes when my friends say something normal they get auto-blocked and all this stuff which really annoys me.

Parental COntrols have mixed opinions with other people, but I think that it should be included as in option in more products. ESPECIALLY iPod Touch so I can get one! :)
 
dogtanian said:
I think its just a commonly held thought that some parents just use these filters and restrictions without explaining the risks and going in detail with their kids about the internet...and sex education ;)
Click to expand...
My parents have explained the risks, and yes, at school, I have and sex ed.

dogtanian said:
I'm 21 and the net was just becoming mainstream when I was 13. Most people didn't know how these chatrooms and the like were being used. I think as long as you know what to look out for and generally not giving out any info about yourself, your safe. Its all about common sense.
Click to expand...
This is where i get all confused. My dad KNOWS that I am smart on the internet, he has admitted it. When A random stranger who got my MSN (and I don't know how, I had never ever ever heard of him before) started talking to me I immediately IMed my dad with the username asking if HE knew them. Nope. The guy pressured me for my name and where I live but I blocked him and thats all. I think that the filter is handy, but I (ME) don't need it. Sometimes when my friends say something normal they get auto-blocked and all this stuff which really annoys me.

Parental COntrols have mixed opinions with other people, but I think that it should be included as in option in more products. ESPECIALLY iPod Touch so I can get one! :)
 
yg17 said:
Parenting is needed, not parental controls. Most parents seem to think the latter is a good subsitute the former.
Click to expand...

some do but Parental controls are a very nice thing that helps out. There are times I can think of that a parent can not watch there kid and really the only way to do anything about it is with parental controls.
Unless you want to explain to me how you plan on stopping you kid from doing things they are not supposed to on the computer while you are not home. A lot of parents these days work so a lot of kids come home from school and are by themselves for a hour or 2. Good luck on stopping them there. On top of that a lot of lot family have multiple kids so you have that to factor in. As they get older it helps out in limiting there time and an easy way to slowly increase their freedoms while still retain control (opening up access to more areas increase time ect.)

Reason I know the above is because I know what I was like when I was 13 years old. My parents where good parents but no parent can watch (nor should they) there kid 24/7. It gets worse

While it is not a substitute it is a good tool to use. People who make statements like your make me thing that either A they do not have kids or some how have a ton of time to spend. That and/or forgetting what they where like. I knew I was good at getting around things. I knew when I was not allowed on the net it did not stop me from figure out how to break the rules when my parents where not home. I had my own extra phone cord that they did not know about and used that and just made sure it was put up when they came home.
 
I had more control over my fathers computer when i was your age than he likely has of yours.

I totally turned out OK. Honest.
 
I can see it being needed if there is a way for developers to hook into the system with their programs. This is something that would be great to see on windows so developers could implement them in a semi-standard way.
 
The only thing that is needed is good old-fashioned parental supervision. It's complete BS that parents rely on everyone (and everything) else to provide the supervision they won't give on their own.
 
ErikCLDR said:
Excellent Comment.

I've never had any restrictions ever really. My parents trust me.
Click to expand...

Same here...

I suppose kids will get it anyhow, even despite the controls. Anyway, most filters until recelty were easy to get around if a kid had any understanding of technology.

Further, it depends so much on the household, and each family's situation.
 
I agree with what was said about parenting.

You always want what you can't have, and if your parents don't even tell you -why- they blocked your favourite pr0n site, well, imagine the possibilities...
 
Restricting access and snooping isn't parenting. It's an attempt at controlling and maintaining a power structure in a relationship that shouldn't need snooping to succeed.

A good parent doesn't make decisions for their teen, they teach their teen to make smart decisions on their own, and to seek guidance when a situation requires decisions they're not capable of making. What's that saying about teaching a man to fish?

Edit: clarity (I hope)
 
yoyo5280 said:
That is true. I still think that teaching is necessary and then parental controls should be installed and slowly be lifted as the childs age and maturity grows. How it works for me.
Click to expand...

see that is how it should be.

Also we should all know how easy it is to go to the sides young kid should not be at. Even if he/she understands that it still very easily can happen by mistake. Miss type in a web page and you go to a porn site. I figure most people know what happens if you .com instead of .gov at the end of whitehouse.gov one is a porn site one is the white house's homepage. That and add in the fact that no matter how well you teach your kid they will get curios and explore. Really there is only one way to stop that action and that is with the controls.

That and we have predators out their that do know how to trick kids. The controls protect against that stuff as well. Now like the post above put them on a over time give the child more freedom. But it is a good tool to use. Yes a tool. It is not a replacement.
 
yg17 said:
Parenting is needed, not parental controls. Most parents seem to think the latter is a good subsitute the former.
Click to expand...

Good lord, I wish I could buy you a plane ticket so you could come here and say that to my moms face. She changed the password to my account which is an extreme inconvenience when I have research or PowerPoint presentations to do, and I can't install programs or even run some I was allowed to a few weeks ago. She even sleeps in the same room as me and won't let me buy a laptop with my own money. I have a feeling she just can't get over the fact that I am not a little kid anymore. (14, by the way)
 
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