Controlling children’s devices has become a challenge in almost all homes. Land lines have become obsolete, making it difficult for parents to get ahold of children who are at home alone, unless parents give their children a device. Children are often given a cell phone or smart watch early in their lives, to allow mom or dad to reach their children more easily.
With giving children devices, parents must also give rules and guidelines for those devices. It is a challenge for parents to hold their children accountable, and allow parents to control/monitor what their children have access to on their devices with already busy lives we lead. Google Family Link (GFL) steps in as a good option to help parents in this vital task.
Benefits:
- Monitor screen time: with GFL, parents can see how much time their children are on their devices, or only allow it to be on for a certain amount of time.
- Manage apps: GFL allows parents to allow/not allow certain apps, and the amount of time allowed on each app.
- Screen time limits: Parents can “disable” devices when devices are no longer necessary – while still being able to call in or out.
- Location tracking: Parents can see the location of their children when utilizing GFL, and be notified when they arrive/leave certain locations.
How to get started & more information:
https://families.google/familylink
Feedback from current users:
“We’ve used Family Link since giving our two oldest children phones two years ago – jumping right into smart phones. We got them set up on Gmail accounts and connected to my phone, then I deleted nearly all of the unnecessary apps (almost all that came pre-installed), and set up the access and time limits we decided on. It was easy to set up the app, it just took a bit of time to get their device set up the way we wanted. We’ve adjusted their screen time since getting the phones and had to adjust permissions and available apps as the needs arrive. It’s been easy to navigate and adjust; and allows us to know their phones are not on when they don’t need to be, where they are when we aren’t with them, and some confidence that they aren’t on an open internet. Though we know there are work-arounds to a google search, they still have to ask permission to access sites when that setting is turned on. We’ve been pleased with this monitoring system overall and still have to remember to check the content of their messages, gallery, or other apps as this parental control doesn’t give a report on any of that.”
– A Google Family Link User since 2024
For more information, go to a previous article from Siouxland Modern Media Committee at
Recent studies continue to show a correlation between excessive screen time and children’s well being. It is important to stay vigilant with how much screen time parents are allowing their children to consume. As a child ages, those restrictions can “loosen” some, while still being given reminders of how God instructs us to use our time wisely. May the Lord help in all these matters in today’s rapid technological advancement. Above all, may our priority shift from technology, to the Giver of all knowledge.
*Please note that although we have found valuable information from an external web page for our blog post, we do not endorse all information, religious views, and opinions posted on these third-party websites.