{"id":124853,"date":"2022-08-24T04:43:46","date_gmt":"2022-08-24T11:43:46","guid":{"rendered":"\/blogs\/?p=124853"},"modified":"2025-04-29T00:30:15","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T07:30:15","slug":"8-signs-it-may-be-time-for-parental-controls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/8-signs-it-may-be-time-for-parental-controls\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Signs It May Be Time for Parental Controls"},"content":{"rendered":"

Equipping and guiding your digitally connected child is one of the toughest challenges you will face as a parent. As your child grows and changes, so too will their online activities. Friend groups, favorite apps, and online interests can shift from one month to the next, which is why parental controls can be a parent\u2019s best friend.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

According to a\u00a0<\/span>report from Common Sense Media<\/span><\/a>, teens spend an average of seven hours and 22 minutes on their phones a day. Tweens (ages 8 to 12) spend four hours and 44 minutes daily. This is time outside of schoolwork.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That is a lot of time to stroll the streets of\u00a0cyberspace\u00a0for entertainment purposes,\u00a0and\u00a0it’s\u00a0only\u00a0<\/span>increased since the pandemic.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Striking a balance\u00a0between\u00a0screen time and\u00a0<\/span>healthy device use<\/span><\/a>\u00a0is an\u00a0always-evolving challenge.\u00a0On the one hand, your\u00a0child\u2019s\u00a0device is\u00a0an essential\u00a0channel\u00a0connecting them to their self-identity, peer acceptance, and\u00a0emotional\u00a0well-being.\u00a0On the other hand, that same device\u00a0is also the door that\u00a0can\u00a0bring\u00a0issues such as\u00a0cyberbullying,\u00a0<\/span>predators<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0risky behavior,\u00a0and self-image\u00a0struggles\u00a0into\u00a0your child\u2019s\u00a0life.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Raising the Safety Bar\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Parental controls are tools that allow parents to set controls on their children\u2019s internet use. Controls include content filters (inappropriate content),\u00a0usage limits (time controls), and monitoring (tracking activity).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Many of the technology\u00a0your\u00a0family already\u00a0owns\u00a0or sites your kids visit\u00a0have basic parental controls\u00a0(i.e.,\u00a0built-in\u00a0controls for\u00a0<\/span>android and\u00a0iPhone<\/span><\/a>\u00a0and social networks such as\u00a0YouTube). However,\u00a0<\/span>another level of parental\u00a0control<\/span><\/a>\u00a0comes in software specifically engineered to filter, limit, and track\u00a0digital\u00a0activity. These consumer-designed parental controls offer families a higher, more powerful form of protection.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0If you are like many parents who land on this blog, you\u2019ve hit a rough patch. You have concerns about your child\u2019s online activity but aren\u2019t sure how to begin restoring balance. Rightly, you want to find the best parental control software and put digital safeguards in place.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

8 Signs Your Family Needs Parental Controls\u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/h2>\n

Every family dynamic is\u00a0different,\u00a0as is\u00a0every\u00a0<\/span>family\u2019s approach to\u00a0online monitoring<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0However, most parents\u00a0can agree\u00a0that when a negative influence begins to impact the family\u2019s emotional and physical health, exploring new solutions\u00a0can help get you back on track.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Depending on your child\u2019s age, you\u00a0may need to\u00a0consider\u00a0parental controls\u00a0if:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>1. They don\u2019t respond when you talk to them<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If your child is\u00a0increasingly\u00a0engrossed in their phone and\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0causing communication issues\u00a0in your family, you may want to consider software that\u00a0includes time limits.\u00a0Connecting with your child during device-free time\u00a0can\u00a0improve communication.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. They\u2019ve started ignoring homework and family responsibilities <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a lot of reasons\u00a0grades can plummet,\u00a0or interests\u00a0can\u00a0fade. However, if your child is spending more and more time online,\u00a0limiting or monitoring\u00a0what goes on in that time can help restore emotional balance and self-discipline to meet responsibilities.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Their browser history shows access to risky content<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Innocent online searches can lead to not so innocent results\u00a0or\u00a0children may go looking for content simply because they’re curious. Parental controls automatically block age-inappropriate sites and filter websites, apps,\u00a0and web searches.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4. They won\u2019t give you their device without a fight <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If the phone has become\u00a0the\u00a0center\u00a0of\u00a0your child\u2019s world at the cost of parental respect\u00a0and family rules,\u00a0they\u00a0may\u00a0be engaged in\u00a0inappropriate behavior online, connecting with the wrong friends, or\u00a0struggling\u00a0with tech balance.\u00a0With the\u00a0proper\u00a0parental controls, a parent can block risky content, view daily activity, and set healthy time limits.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5. They\u2019re losing interest in family outings and other non-digital activities <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Poor habits form quietly over time. If your child has dramatically changed\u00a0their focus\u00a0in the past three\u00a0to six months, consider zooming in on why.\u00a0It may not be technology use,\u00a0but you may consider an additional layer of protection\u00a0if it is.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

6. They go into another room to respond to a text <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While everyone deserves privacy, if\u00a0constantly\u00a0sneaking away to\u00a0communicate with a friend is\u00a0your\u00a0child\u2019s\u00a0new\u00a0norm,\u00a0you may consider\u00a0making some screen time adjustments.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

7. They are exhausted <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unbeknownst to parents, kids\u00a0might be\u00a0<\/span>exchanging\u00a0sleep for screen time<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0Parental controls can help you nip this unhealthy habit.\u00a0<\/span>Setting time limits can help\u00a0kids experience deeper sleep, better moods,\u202f<\/span>more<\/span>\u00a0focus, and more energy.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

8. They overshare online <\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u00a0browse through\u00a0your child\u2019s social media\u00a0and\u00a0notice\u00a0their profiles are public\u00a0instead of private,\u00a0or if your child tends\u00a0to overshare\u00a0personal\u00a0information,\u00a0parental controls\u00a0can help you\u00a0monitor\u00a0future\u00a0activity.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ideally, we\u2019d all prefer to\u00a0live\u00a0in a world where\u00a0we didn\u2019t need\u00a0parental controls\u00a0at all.\u00a0Unfortunately, that\u00a0is neither a present nor future reality. So, we recalibrate, keep learning,\u00a0and keep adding to our parenting\u00a0skills. As always,\u00a0we believe the\u00a0first go-to digital safety tool is investing in consistent\u00a0open\u00a0and\u00a0honest conversation\u00a0with your child. And the second tool? Yup, reach for the parental controls.\u00a0While\u00a0you may hear some hemming and hawing from your kids at first, the peace of mind you gain from having parental controls in place will be worth it.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Equipping and guiding your digitally connected child is one of the toughest challenges you will face as a parent. As…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":642,"featured_media":125996,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[10370,10379,10373,10367,10376,5413],"coauthors":[3359],"class_list":["post-124853","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-safety","tag-best-parental-control-software","tag-how-to-set-parental-control","tag-parental-control-android","tag-parental-control-app","tag-parental-control-iphone","tag-parental-controls"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n8 Signs It May Be Time for Parental Controls | McAfee Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Equipping and guiding your digitally connected child is one of the toughest challenges you will face as a parent. 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Her passion for digital safety started 10 years ago as a way to gain the survival skills she needed to parent her own connected teenagers. Her goal with each post is to give busy parents the insight they need raise wiser, more compassionate digital kids. 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