Empowering Parents & Guardians with Smarter Digital Oversight
Parents and guardians responsible for the well-being of children and young adults are increasingly concerned about excessive screen time and online activity. Studies in the UK suggest that more than two hours of daily screen time[1] can negatively impact development. Additionally, students can take up to 20 minutes to refocus[2] on learning after engaging with their mobile devices. Even when children are online, they also need protection from harmful (or illegal) content. Content like this can be found via search engines, but should be filtered out by informed digital oversight at the request of parents and guardians. However, controlling device usage is challenging. Confiscating devices to monitor activity is a common approach.
However, this can lead to resistance or even encourage tech-savvy young people to bypass restrictions by switching devices or using alternative access points.
Both Android and iOS offer built-in screen time controls, but these typically provide only daily limits rather than more precise restrictions, such as limiting usage during school hours. Additionally, they do not offer independent reports without direct access to the device, which can provoke negative reactions. In this insight we look at the role of the mobile network operator (MNO/MVNO) and how they can complement a device approach and provide a combined, informed digital oversight for data access.
What can a Telecom Network Based Approach Add?
A device/app-based approach can be complemented by a more discrete network-based solution from the CSP, which offers a less intrusive way to monitor usage and filter unwanted traffic, providing:
- A unified report – Easily track estimated screen time, app usage, and control of viewable content.
- Independent insights – No need for direct access to the child’s device
- Customizable restrictions – Set usage limits based on time of day (e.g., block social media during school hours or late at night); choose the categories of content that are allowable for a protected data plan
- A different level of content moderation, categorising destination IP, URL and App detection
- More trust in Communication Service Providers (CSP) – In a recent survey[3], 57% of parents/guardians trusted service providers (CSPs) for monitoring, compared to just 25% for large internet companies
- Lower costs – CSP-based solutions can be far more affordable than third-party monitoring apps, which can charge many $$ per device per month
Enhancing Parental Control & Awareness
A common frustration for parents is checking mobile bills or usage reports when two-factor authentication (2FA) requires a text to the child’s phone, immediately alerting them to the check. Additionally, biometric or passcode protection can prevent parents from reviewing device activity.
What would an ideal informed oversight report look like? Imagine a personalised monitoring service that provides:
- A high-level usage breakdown delivered to your device e.g. Daily, Weekly, Monthly
- Ability to create family and group access plans which enable data access with informed oversight, filtering unwanted content and monitoring potential over use.
- Notification of access outside the guidelines chosen by the parent/guardian
- Flagged activity alerts for specific categories of content
- Screen time estimates, broken down by app and time of day
- The ability to set time-based access restrictions (e.g., block social media/over-use during school hours)
Integrating customised, network-based parental controls, telecom communication service providers can offer a simplified, effective, and affordable way for parents & guardians to protect and guide their children’s digital habits, without unnecessary conflict.
Want to know more?
If you want to know more about how to achieve a personalised data service, informed digital oversight, and reliable content filtering solutions enabled by advanced deep packet inspection from Enea, then visit us @ https://www.enea.com/solutions/traffic-management/
References:
- Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing – Report Summary – UK Government: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmeduc/118/summary.html#:~:text=Recent%20research%20suggests%20that%20children%20who%20were,be%20damaging%20to%20a%20child’s%20sleep%20pattern
- https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/smartphones-school-only-when-they-clearly-support-learning
- Enea Parental Control Survey https://info.enea.com/ParentalControlSurvey
