ISSUE 10 • ANDROID ADVISOR 19
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None of these safeguards can replace the
unique role of a parent or guardian
Before we move on to the various software and
hardware solutions, though, it’s important to point
out that none of these things can replace the unique
role of a parent or guardian.
"Talking to your child is one of the best ways
to keep them safe," states the National Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).
"Preventing your children from using the internet or
mobile phones won’t keep them safe online, so it’s
important to have conversations that help your child
understand how to stay safe and what to do if they
ever feel scared or uncomfortable."
Creating an awareness of the wonderful
possibilities the internet holds is a very positive
approach, but it should defi nitely be augmented
with conversations about the potential dangers of
inappropriate content, cyberbullying and talking
to strangers. As your child grows older they will
also need di erent levels of supervision, and
conversations should be ongoing, rather than just
having ‘the one’. Many schools now include these
subjects in lessons, which gives you an excellent
opportunity to continue the discussion at home. This
doesn’t mean you shouldn’t implement software
restrictions to safeguard their internet access. So
much hard-core material is available online within a
few key presses, that it would be foolish to let your
