Thanks to Zachary Lewis for sharing this blocking technology. As a parent, I find this one appealing because it texts and emails you a screen capture the moment your child uses a 'blocked" search term. It also monitors emails, IMs and webcams.
Shield Genie
They also provide some great tips for internet safety.
Laura Dembofsky --
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting, however, I feel like this technology is too intense. I know it's important to monitor children's internet use but being able to read their emails and track every single thing they do online might be a little much. From experience I've had in my childhood, Friends I had who were 'forbidden' from doing things and whose parents would search their rooms and look through their things didn't have a very trusting relationship with their parents. Because they felt that their parents didn't trust them it would drive them to do even worse things.
I think this "Shield Genie" is very good for the well-being of young children. Parents will be happier to let their children use the computer knowing that they are safe from pop ups that include "adult" content. In addition, parents will be better able to monitor what websites their children can and cannot get onto. I think that if Shield Genie gets a lot of sales, that other companies will see that and make their own versions of parental controls, which is beneficial for children as well as their parents.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with Laura on this one. I do not think that it is healthy for parents to micromanage everything that their kids do online. The Internet is a great place for exploration and a child who is being monitored by this “Shield Genie” will be nervous about anything that they want to look up online. The Internet is a good resource for kids to research things that they may not feel comfortable asking their parents about. If this is no longer a possibility, it could be decreasing the amount of freedom that a child has for learning and exploration.
ReplyDeleteThis is a bit of a tough topic because I agree with both all three of the above comments. I think that is important to make sure you children are using the Internet in an appropriate manner but at the same time you do need to trust your children. I believe “Shield Genie” may be best for younger children. To make sure they don’t type in what could be seen as them as an innocent phrase that could lead them to inappropriate websites. For example, I know people who were having trouble with YouTube, when their children would want to look up songs sometimes they got inappropriate music videos. However, if you trust with your child enough to provide them with their own computer rather than the “family” computer I do not think the child’s “every keystroke” should be monitored. They need to be able to have some freedom and if they are old enough and responsible enough to have a personal computer they should know how to use the Internet responsibly.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the comments above, this topic is controversial and I can understand both sides. I think the “Shield Genie” is a comforting tool for parents to use, making them feel more at ease allowing their children to use the internet on their own and unsupervised. It can also be beneficial for the parents when they are out and have a babysitter, so when they aren’t around they will still be notified about inappropriate computer searches. However, I do believe it is a little much with the text messages to the parents and IM screenshots. This software program may be more acceptable for kids under the age of ten, when some content is not suitable. It might actually help open up conversation with parents and build a stronger relationship because they may now be more comfortable talking about certain topics together. Once a child grows up and becomes a teenager, independence is key. Having a computer that is not controlled by parents will allow more freedom and support in building a trusting relationship, hopefully decreasing parent/child conflict and rebellious teenage years.
ReplyDeleteI think that having this software is a good idea because it will provide an extra safety feature for your children and will allow you, as a parent to worry less. I think that Harrison has a good point, but I think that installing the software without telling your children is the best thing to do. Maybe it will teach them to not search those words or refrain from bad things on the internet because they will think that they just don't exist online if the computer does not allow certain pages to pop up.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the idea of the "Shield Genie" is a controversial topic because I believe there are both positive and negative sides to it. On one hand, it is beneficial for parents because it can properly monitor what their children are searching on their computers and prevent their children from seeing anything that may be harmful or inappropriate for them. But on the other hand, it may be a little too overbearing. As we discussed in class, it can be bad for parents to be too controlling over their children's online activity because they may end up trying to hide more from their parents. There needs to be a balance of trust between parents and their children about online communication use and using the Shield Genie may not be the best way to do this.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the Shield Genie seems a little over-the-top. I think it is very important for kids, especially those around the middle-school age, to have a trusted sense of privacy. It is very difficult to grow up and act naturally when you feel you are being watched. The Shield Genie does seem appealing from a parent's perspective, however. Perhaps it would be best used as a last-resort solution for children who have had trouble dealing with media in the past. Simpler solutions like channel, ad, site, and other content blockers should be a parent's first choice.
ReplyDeleteI think this technology would be best for younger children because it eliminates the risk of them being exposed to inappropriate material that they shouldn't stumble upon by accident. But I also agree that parents should not be using this to invade their older children's privacy. At some point, if a kid wants to see something online they will find some way around this "shield" to do that.
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