Manage Your Kid's Screen Time And Online Activity With Family Link, Google's Parental Control App

In this age of digital parenting, parents are justified in worrying about their kids' activities on the phone or the screen. The devices that we have access to open before us a great deal of information that may not always be kid-friendly.

Exposure to inappropriate content can have far-reaching consequences on the child's behavior which include:

• Increased time spent on devices like computers, smartphones, and tablets affects studies and playtime considerably
• Kids may become victims of cyberbullying
• They may get exposed to age-inappropriate content such as pornography
• Content with violence might affect the developing minds of kids.

Young children are often unaware of these dangers. So, it is important for parents to be aware of the dangers their kids are exposed to online. Here are a few tips to help you keep your child safe.

1. Parents should be aware of the risks and dangers of letting children spend time online.
2. They should know about the social networking sites or applications that kids use.
3. They can try to get acquainted with terms and acronyms used by kids online.
4. Parents should be aware of what their kids do on their gadgets, especially when they have access to a webcam so that they don't upload or send inappropriate images online, intentionally or unintentionally.

To prevent this alarming situation, many companies across the world are coming up with solutions to help parents manage their children's screen time. Several guidelines and parental control apps have been developed to help parents keep a watch over their children's online activity. One of these is Family Link, an application by Google, that lets parents keep an eye on their child's (under 13 years of age) online activities while letting them enjoy healthy screen time.

What you can do with the Family Link app

Set screen time limits

You can come to an agreement with your child about their screen usage and set daily screen time limits on your kid's device. In case your child wants extra screen time while on vacation or to complete school work, you can override the general settings and set a custom time with the 'Today only' feature. You can also set time limits for each application or downtime for their device, helping them achieve the right balance of screen time. You can do this on the 'Controls' tab in the app.

Give them access to age-appropriate content

The app has a 'Highlights' tab which shows an overview of what your child does online, what apps they use, and for how long. Here you can also approve app downloads, block apps, manage app permissions and set content restrictions. The app also lets you supervise YouTube or YouTube Kids, to ensure children have access to age-appropriate content only.

Protect their data and privacy

You can manage permissions to websites and apps on your child's device with the Family Link app. You can help them change their password, or reset it for them if they forget it. The app also allows you to edit their personal information and decide what data will be visible to apps.

Know where they are

On the 'Location' tab on the app, you can track all your children on one map, as long as they are carrying their devices. You will also get notified when your child enters or leaves a particular location, like their school or your home. You can also ring your child's device in case your child can't find it and view their device's battery life.

The Family Link service is a good way to manage your kid's screen time but parents should remember that technology is no substitute for good parenting!