Content Blockers on my Children’s Devices?
Content blockers can impact the digital lives that kids lead.
They live on their phones: Discord, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, BeReal, and TikTok; incidentally the latter has surpassed YouTube for total viewing hours per month.
And, as parents, you know the promise of good content on the internet, but there’s a lot of content out there that is not meant for children.
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The Accidental Problem
It is not uncommon for children to be exposed to online pornography as young as 8 years old. This early exposure is often accidental.
If you put a content blocker on your child’s device, it is best to talk to them about it and why you are doing it.
Do you believe you have an online pornography addiction? Take the free Cyber Pornography Addiction Test (CYPAT) and have the results to speak with your therapist.
Since most parents don’t talk to their kids about online pornography, kids don’t usually feel comfortable coming to mom or dad with what they saw online.
Newer research suggests that this early online pornography exposure is correlated with future problematic sexual behavior.
What Content Blockers do parents use?
Many choose to enable parental controls on phones or in apps directly to try to limit the type of content their children can either accidentally or intentionally access.
Many apps now have internal parental controls as do most phones and tablets. In addition, there are entire marketplaces full of services and apps that you can purchase to block content on your device. These apps range from locking things down nearly completely to simply alerting someone that a certain type of content has been accessed.
If you’re unfamiliar with sextortion, check out Dr. Jen’s article How to Protect Your Child from Sextortion.
Beyond Technology
If you plan to put a content blocker on your child’s device, it is best to talk to them about it and why you are doing it. These conversations and limitations need to be had and reassessed as your child ages; some of the guards can be lowered in an age-appropriate manner.
These conversations are more important than any technology, because you have no control over what your child is watching on their friend’s tablet or phone. Maybe they can’t access pornography on their phone but their friends might be able to, and kids frequently share what they see.
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Do you feel your sexual behavior, or that of someone you love, is out of control? Then you should consult with a professional.
Have you found yourself in legal trouble due to your sexual behavior? Seek assistance before the court mandates it, with Sexual Addiction Treatment Services.
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