Smartphones along with the internet have changed every aspect of life. Smartphones today have really become an essential tool in humanity’s modern-day affairs including children’s education and entertainment. However, it does have its drawbacks as well and the biggest one is in terms of exposure to materials that are unfit for children. When carrying a smartphone and the internet, children can freely access adult material and other types of detrimental content.
As a result, in order to maintain the child’s online safety and to offer appropriate Internet exposure for the child, knowing how to control the adult content on the phone is necessary. Parental control is essential to restrict access to unfiltered content that can lead to hampered productivity. Early exposure to adult content hurts the body and mind in many ways affecting the general health of an individual. But let’s first look at some of the adverse effects that emanate from access to adult content on phones before going further to know how we can block it.
Exposure to Adult Content: Negative Impacts on Children
Early exposure to adult content has significant negative impacts on children. It can hamper physical, psychological, and social growth. The common risks are:
- Anxiety and Depression: Children exposed to explicit content at a young age may experience anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues.
- Development of Unrealistic Expectations: Adult content exposure can develop unrealistic perceptions regarding sexual relationships.
- Misunderstandings: Young children unable to comprehend what they are watching may develop a misunderstanding regarding sex and relationships.
- Addiction: It can also lead to addictive behavior, especially in adolescents.
- Impacts on Academic Performance: Watching adult content leads to distraction that contributes to poor academic performance.
Therefore, to ensure the physical, mental, and social security of children, ensure safe online experiences on smartphones. In this blog post, discover diverse techniques to learn how to block adult content on phones for parental control. Continue reading.
Ways to Block Adult Content on Android Phone
Explore varied tips and techniques to learn how to block adult content on your Android phone. Here are some options for Android phone users.
#1. Google Family Link App
This family link app enables a user to create a child account and link to a family account for controlling content. Follow the steps to use this option:
- First of all, download the Google Family Link App from the Play Store.
- Set up a child account with a Family link.
- Once the account is created, tap on Manage settings
- Select Controls on Google Play and set filters.
- You can set filters on apps, games, movies, and TV.
#2. Turn on Google SafeSearch
You can enable the Google SafeSearch option in a browser to block adult content on your phone. Here are the steps to enable the SafeSearch option.
- First, open a web browser on your phone such as a Chrome browser.
- Tap on the menu icon (three dotted lines) in the top right corner.
- Select Settings from the drop-down menu and then tap on Data & Privacy.
- Under Data and Privacy, select SafeSearch and enable it.
Enabling the SafeSearch option ensures that harmful content and websites with adult content remain blocked on your device.
#3. Apply Google Play Restrictions
Another option for blocking adult content on phones is to set up the Google Play restrictions. Here are the ways how to do this:
- Step 1: Open the Google Play app on your device.
- Step 2: Open the App and tap on the menu icon (three horizontal lines) then select Settings.
- Step 3: Under Settings find the Controls section and then tap on ‘Parental Controls’ to enable it.
- Step 4: Create a PIN to prevent unauthorized setting changes.
- Step 5: After setting a PIN, set restrictions on apps, games, movies, and music you want.
#4. Set Browser Restrictions
Ensure to use a safe browser to access different sites and content. Two commonly used browsers are Google Chrome and Firefox. You can set browser restrictions to block access to adult websites. Go to the browser settings and enable the Safe search option to ensure restrictions on adult and harmful content.
#5. Use Parental Control Apps
One of the effective means to block adult content on phones is to use a parental control application. Several parental control apps are available and effective in blocking harmful web content. These applications also have varied features like location tracking, screen time management, and more effective web filtering. Go to the Play Store and search for parental control apps. Download an application after careful review of consumer feedback and reviews.
Also Read – How to get Free Play Store Gift Cards
Ways to Block Adult Content on iPhone
Several options can be utilized to restrict access to web content on iPhone. Let’s explore the viable options to block adult content on iPhone.
#1. Set Up Screen Time: A Built-in Parental Control
iPhone offers you access to different built-in parental control features that help to restrict access to web content. You can use the option of screen time restriction.
- Go to the Settings on your iPhone
- Find the Screen Time option under the Settings section.
- Tap on Turn On Screen Time to enable it and then tap on Continue.
- Select the option This is My iPhone and set screen time as Parent.
#2. Turn on Content & Privacy Restrictions
This is another built-in feature on the iPhone to block access to harmful and explicit content.
- Go to Settings and select Screen Time menu.
- Tap on Content & Privacy Restrictions and enter your PIN.
- After entering the PIN tap on Enable Content & Privacy Restrictions.
#3. Apply Content Restrictions
You can also use the content restriction option on your iPhone to block access to adult content. Here are the simple steps to follow:
- Access the Settings and tap on Content Restriction
- Scroll down and tap on the Web Content option.
- Under Web Content find and tap on Limit Adult Websites
This option can prove productive in blocking the adult websites on your phone.
#4. Apply App Restrictions
To ensure restrictions on accessing adult control via mobile applications, you can use the app restrictions on your iPhone. Go to the Content Restrictions section in the Settings and restrict app downloads. Apply restrictions according to age ratings.
#5. Monitor Your Child’s Online Access
Apart from the above-discussed options to block adult content access over a mobile phone, monitoring your child’s activities on the phone is important. Parents must regularly check mobile phones used by children and ensure parental settings are intact.
Set a limited screen time and allow children to use phones for a limited time only. Create child accounts on mobile phones used by children and link the same with family accounts to ensure parietal control. Furthermore, keep an eye on app downloads, online purchases, and subscriptions to ensure a safe online experience for your child.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, blocking access to explicit and harmful content is important to ensure parental control. Early exposure to adult content via mobile phones has significant negative impacts on children’s physical, mental, and social growth. Parents can utilize different options to block adult content on mobile phones.
From Google SafeSearch to browser restrictions and Google Play restrictions to using parental control apps, several means can be utilized to block access to adult content. iPhone users can use different in-built features to restrict access to adult content. Setting up screen time, turning on the content and privacy settings, and applying content restrictions are some of the features to block adult content on an iPhone.
