Internet Safety and Accountability:

The online world is full of dangers and traps for both children and adults.  We want to make every effort to help you and your family stay safe and firmly within God's plan for your life.  Below you will find some useful tools to help you protect your family and stay accountable when tempted online.   While we recognize the services and media below can be helpful, we do not condone everything you may experience within them.  They are also not a substitute for the accountability and support you have available as an active member of the church community through Life Groups, counseling, and general one-anothering.

 

Foundational Steps:

• Simple - Put your computer and devices in a public spaces and only allow internet enabled devices to be used in that public space.

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• Setup Parental Controls on iPods, iPads and iPhones. Setup Adult filtering on the device and make someone else setup the restrictions pin.  Check out this article for helpful setup instructions.

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Software:

• ​X3watch - accountability software for computers and phones. It sends a list of questionable sites to email addresses you choose as accountability partners. There are free and paid variations of x3watch. 

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• Covenant Eyes - Accountability and Filtering program which can help you protect your family online for $10.99-$14.99 a month. This program tracks how the internet is used in your home and logs which websites are visited.

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Router Filtering:

• OpenDNS - Setup your home router and filter what websites are allowed on your cable or wireless network.  OpenDNS allows customizable filters for any device connected.  You can even create a list for which websites you want to allow. Best of all, this is totally FREE!

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• Circle/Aura - It's $99/year, but you can find it on sale for less. It regulates every device that is connected to your router. You can setup filtering as well as time allowances. This is one of the best devices for filtering and easy to use parental controls.

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Documentaries/Helpful Viewing:

• Childhood 2.0 - For anyone who wants to better understand the world their children are navigating as they grow up in the digital age. Featuring actual parents and kids as well as industry-leading experts in child safety and development, this documentary dives into the real-life issues facing kids today — including cyberbullying, online predators, suicidal ideation, and more.

• Screened Out - "Screened Out is a provocative look at screen and smartphone addiction and how the tech industry hooked global consumers, and continues to groom future generations of screen addicts."

• The Social Dilemma - (Requires Netflix) A look at how social media companies use hidden methods to control our choices and actions.

• Plugged In - Documentary about the toxic effects of social media.

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Texting and Phone Controls:

• Contact your wireless operator. Many (such as Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile) allow the main account holder to place parental controls and restrictions on the other lines on the account. Some even allow you to block certain numbers or allow other numbers.