14 DAY TRIAL // Parental control software has been around for a while and companies are investing a fortune to improve these applications and make the web safer for teenagers.
But Danah Boyd, who’s a Microsoft researcher and even wrote a book to discuss the ways social networking could influence teenagers’ lives, said in an article on TIME that kids actually need more freedom when browsing the web, although she admitted that parents should always be near to provide assistance whenever it’s needed.
Parents, on the other hand, should consider disabling tracking software, especially because teenagers moved their lives online.
“As teens have moved online, parents have projected their fears onto the internet, imagining all the potential dangers that youth might face – from violent strangers to cruel peers to pictures or words that could haunt them on Google for the rest of their lives,” she wrote in the article.
“Rather than helping teens develop strategies for negotiating public life and the potential risks of interacting with others, fearful parents have focused on tracking, monitoring and blocking.”
Just like PCPro notes, Boyd’s view is somewhat opposite to what Microsoft is saying, as the software giant encourages parents to download the Windows Live Family Safety tool and set up parental controls on their computers to make sure that children are safe when browsing the web.
But Boyd claims that this isn’t necessarily the right solution. Disabling tracking software and staying close to children as they explore the Internet is actually strongly recommended, as the online world is actually a reflection of the real life where parents are also trying to protect teens.
“The key to helping youth navigate contemporary digital life isn’t more restrictions. It’s freedom–plus communication,” she said. “Safety didn’t come from surveillance cameras or keeping everyone indoors but from a collective willingness to watch out for one another and be present as people struggled. The same is true online.”
Of course, that’s clearly a very interesting point of view and it remains to be seen whether Microsoft indeed agrees with Boyd’s statement or the company still believes that parents should proceed with installation of parental control software and keep children away from dangers found online.
Boyd’s thoughts, on the other hand, pretty much make sense, especially because most kids who go online would benefit from greater protection from a parent who stays by his side than from a software solution designed to block access to specific services.