Some things on the internet are not meant for delicate eyes.
The internet is a vast place, almost as vast the universe, theoretically speaking. And in quite a few places in that digital universe is content that children are best steered away from. If you’ve spent long enough perusing the internet, then you know that not only is there adult content around every corner, there are copious workarounds and shortcuts in just about everything that lead right to it.
Case in point, a minor could easily get to an adult video site through the Snapchat mobile app in just a few clicks. A lot of adult film actors maintain presences on Snapchat, apparently, and a lot of them post links to their works. It is, however, their right to use social media, as well as link to their content if they so choose, so banning them from the service isn’t really an option. What, then, can you do as a parent?
Credit: BT.com
Parental controls are your best friend in this situation. By utilizing parental controls, both in the Snapchat app and in the smartphone’s own settings, you can prevent, or at least limit, access to questionable content. You can control what kind of profiles the app can visit, and you can block certain website domains from the web browser.
Of course, the unfortunate truth about adult site workarounds is that they’re like the mythical hydra; cut off one, and eight more pop up in its place. There’s no easy solution; it’s up to you to be vigilant about the kind of content your child has access to. And in the event they stumble onto that stuff, calmly explain what the problem is rather than punishing them. It’s not their fault the internet is full of twists and turns.
