{"id":510,"date":"2012-04-13T14:13:17","date_gmt":"2012-04-13T22:13:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/internetsafety.trendmicro.com\/?p=510"},"modified":"2012-04-27T19:46:33","modified_gmt":"2012-04-28T03:46:33","slug":"ereaders-and-parental-controls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/blog\/ereaders-and-parental-controls\/","title":{"rendered":"eReaders and Parental Controls"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

by Lynette Owens<\/p>\n

This is the\u00a01st in our ’10 for 10′ weekly series of online safety and digital literacy tips.<\/em><\/p>\n

Since launching Trend Micro\u2019s Internet safety for kids and families program in 2008, I\u2019ve seen the topic of safe and responsible technology use among youth shift to the foreground of society\u2019s consciousness to the point now where a week doesn\u2019t seem to go by without some reminder of the impact the Internet has or is having on young people today.<\/p>\n

Sometimes it\u2019s a news flash of another bullying incident that keeps us on our toes.\u00a0 Many times it\u2019s the arrival of a new device, social network, or app that rockets in popularity that urges us to consider it in our kids\u2019 hands.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While the pace of technology can be dizzying, it’s a good thing we’re paying closer attention.<\/p>\n

But still, we are parents, and we are busy trying to cram as much as we can in any given day.\u00a0 So hopefully, for those of you who are interested and want to stay on top of these shifts, the resources we will provide over the coming months will be of some help to you.<\/p>\n

Over the next 10 weeks, we\u2019ll be highlighting resources on multiple topics (because, as you know, there are a lot of things to cover) as it relates to helping your kids with safe and responsible technology use.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This week, we\u2019re featuring a few tips on parental controls and 3 of the more popular eReaders: the Nook, Kindle Fire, and the Apple iPad.\u00a0<\/p>\n

eReaders are a fantastic way to encourage reading among kids.\u00a0 While there is a big upfront cost for the reader, they give you access to huge libraries of books at no or low cost.\u00a0 In the end, it may be a cost savings for you, depending on how much your kids like to read.<\/p>\n

Most of the newer eReaders have a browser, a way to get out onto the vast world of the Internet.\u00a0 They can also download apps, movies, and music. \u00a0They\u2019ve all been designed for the masses, and not necessarily with parents and kids in mind.\u00a0 Ideally, this will shift over time, but for now there are many families who need to know what they\u2019re getting into when they (or other family members or friends) decide to buy their kids an eReader.<\/p>\n

General Info to keep in mind:<\/span><\/p>\n

First, the Nook, Kindle Fire, and Apple iPad all have access to the Internet\/web browsers.<\/p>\n

Second, none of them have a way to filter Internet access so that kids can only go to websites that are a) secure (not tampered with by cybercriminals) and b) age-appropriate.<\/p>\n

On the Nook:<\/span><\/p>\n

The Nook Color and Nook Tablet allow you to turn Internet access on or off, and this setting can be password-protected.\u00a0 That\u2019s about all you can do to filter web access and limit what they can download.\u00a0 Heavy parent oversight and involvement is the solution for the Nook.<\/p>\n

Options:<\/em><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Set up the password-protected Internet connection feature.\u00a0 Turn it on only when you can supervise your kids\u2019 access to the Internet.\u00a0 Specific steps on how to do this from Barnes and Noble can be found here: http:\/\/cp-barnesandnoble.kb.net\/kb\/article?ArticleId=2765&source=Article&c=12&cid=2<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. If you\u2019re not satisfied with this option, then stick to buying real books or visiting the library for now, or consider one of the other 2 eReaders below.<\/li>\n
  3. A more complicated option is to filter web access through your router, but that would require a ton of work that is best left to the most tech savvy and it would also filter everyone using Internet access in your house, not just your kids.\u00a0 Seems like a lot of work for an inconvenient outcome in the end.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    On the Kindle Fire:<\/span><\/p>\n

    The Kindle Fire allows you to turn Internet access on or off, and this setting can be password-protected.\u00a0 There is an alternative option, however, which would require an additional 3rd<\/sup>-party app.<\/p>\n

    Options:<\/em><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Set up password-protected WiFi option.\u00a0 This just lets you turn Internet access on or off when your kids are using the Kindle.\u00a0 Additional instructions on how to do this from Amazon can be found here: http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/help\/customer\/display.html\/ref=hp_k6land_restrictions?nodeId=200729250#restrictions<\/a><\/li>\n
    2. There is a way to keep the browser on, but limit them to age-appropriate sites only.\u00a0 The app is from Mobicip and can be found on the Google Play (Android) app store.\u00a0 The cost is USD$4.99\u00a0 More info @ http:\/\/www.mobicip.com\/pricing<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      On the Apple iPad:<\/span><\/p>\n

      Apple has the most robust set of filtering options of these 3 devices. \u00a0It also allows you to limit the apps, movies, music, and t.v. shows downloaded by age range.<\/p>\n

      But these built-in features don\u2019t do much as far as web browsing is concerned.\u00a0 Like the others, your only option is to turn Internet access on or off (and require a password to do it if you want).\u00a0 There is an option to allow filtered Internet access using a 3rd<\/sup> party app.<\/p>\n

      Options:<\/em><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. To limit apps, movies, music, and t.v. shows by age, or other features of the iPad, go to:\n
          \n
        1. Settings\u00e0General\u00e0Restrictions (set a password for this)<\/li>\n
        2. Under \u2018Allowed Content\u2019 you will see options to filter by age ratings: Music & Podcasts, Movies, TV shows, and Apps<\/li>\n
        3. You can keep the browser on, but limit kids to age-appropriate sites only.\u00a0 You\u2019ll need to download an app from Mobicip and can be found in the Apple app store.\u00a0 The cost is USD$4.99\u00a0 More info @ http:\/\/www.mobicip.com\/pricing<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          \u00a0(There are many more eReader\/table options out there, but it would be difficult to cover them all.\u00a0 For a list of what is currently available, take a look at this page from Wikipedia.\u00a0 Towards the far right, you will see which ones have a web browser.\u00a0 http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Comparison_of_e-book_readers<\/a>)<\/p>\n

          As the price of eReaders continues to decline, they could become more attractive to buy for your kids.\u00a0 If you choose to do it, just be sure to go in with your eyes open and understand everything you are getting yourself and them into.<\/p>\n

          In addition to limiting the content that your kids can access through eReaders, remember to teach them the basics about safe and responsible technology use.\u00a0 For some general online safety tips, visit any of these sites:<\/p>\n

          www.trendmicro.com\/internetsafety<\/a><\/p>\n

          www.connecdtsafely.com<\/a><\/p>\n

          www.commonsensemedia.org<\/a><\/p>\n

          www.onguardonline.gov<\/a><\/p>\n

          Follow Lynette on Twitter @lynettetowens<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Over the next 10 weeks, we\u2019ll be highlighting resources on multiple topics as it relates to helping your kids with safe and responsible technology use. This week, we\u2019re featuring a few tips on parental controls and 3 of the more popular eReaders: the Nook, Kindle Fire, and the Apple iPad. <\/p>\n

          eReaders are a fantastic way to encourage reading among kids. While there is a big upfront cost for the reader, they give you access to huge libraries of books at no or low cost. In the end, it may be a cost savings for you, depending on how much your kids like to read.<\/p>\n

          Most of the newer eReaders have a browser, a way to get out onto the vast world of the Internet. They can also download apps, movies, and music. They\u2019ve all been designed for the masses, and not necessarily with parents and kids in mind. Ideally, this will shift over time, but for now there are many families who need to know what they\u2019re getting into when they decide to buy their kids an eReader.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[8,47,6,69,5,25,10,42,12,43],"class_list":["post-510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-for-parents","category-for-teachers","tag-digital-citizenship","tag-digital-literacy","tag-education","tag-ereaders","tag-internet-safety","tag-online-privacy","tag-online-safety","tag-parental-controls","tag-social-networking","tag-website-filters","wpautop"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=510"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/510\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.trendmicro.com\/internet-safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}