eReaders and Parental Controls

by Lynette Owens

Since launching Trend Micro’s Internet safety for kids and families program in 2008, I’ve seen the topic of safe and responsible technology use among youth shift to the foreground of society’s consciousness to the point now where a week doesn’t seem to go by without some reminder of the impact the Internet has or is having on young people today.

Sometimes it’s a news flash of another bullying incident that keeps us on our toes.  Many times it’s the arrival of a new device, social network, or app that rockets in popularity that urges us to consider it in our kids’ hands. 

While the pace of technology can be dizzying, it’s a good thing we’re paying closer attention.

But still, we are parents, and we are busy trying to cram as much as we can in any given day.  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.

Over the next 10 weeks, we’ll 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. 

This week, we’re featuring a few tips on parental controls and 3 of the more popular eReaders: the Nook, Kindle Fire, and the Apple iPad. 

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.

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’ve 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’re getting into when they (or other family members or friends) decide to buy their kids an eReader.

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About Trend Micro
To support our vision of making the world safe for exchanging digital information, Trend Micro aspires to make a difference by using our 20+ years of expertise in developing world-class security software for homes and businesses to make the world at large a better place. One of the ways we do this is through a commitment to make the Internet a safer place for young people around the world.