When it comes to Xbox, and any other gaming console, using parental controls is a good place to start to keep your kids safe. The question many new Xbox users want to know is what are Xbox parental controls and what exactly do they control? Here are 5 controls that Xbox parental controls can help with.
Limiting your child’s screen time
When young children start gaming, parents are always concerned about the amount of time they spend on their new console. On Xbox, as well as many other gaming systems, parents can put a time limit on screen time and monitor it. Here, you are able to set time limits on specific days of the week, or set the same time limit for every day. Enable a weekly report of your kids screen time to monitor their usage.
Age settings for content restrictions
Just because your children have access to an Xbox, it doesn’t mean that they should be able to access everything Xbox has to offer. Ensure that your children aren’t accessing games that are above their maturity level by setting a general age setting for all apps and software. You can also customize between different applications if you feel there are some things you are ok with.
Sending money on Xbox
Do you want your children asking if they can make purchases on Xbox or do you prefer to be surprised when you see your credit card statement at the end of the month?! I think we all know the answer to that question! Ensure that all purchases require parent approval so that you have the final say.
Privacy
Do you know who your kids are playing with online? Do they? Set privacy settings to restrict who your children play with online. You can use the settings to restrict online play from people they don’t know. This way your children will only be playing with their friends. You are also able to turn off voice chat which is an added bonus!
Chat Filters
Chats can be a scary thing for kids. This is where communication can become abusive and hurtful. Use Xbox’s settings which are levelled: friendly, medium, mature or unfiltered. The friendly setting is set as the default for child accounts and is the best setting for chat filters for young gamers.
Extra Security
In addition to Xbox parental controls, Kidas is available to make sure that cyberbullying and predator attacks are reported to you. Giving your children the freedom to play with the reigns loosened a little bit, or with no reigns at all, is important for them, but that doesn’t mean that they need to go unsupervised. Kidas will send you a weekly report and will alert you of any online dangers when scanning your child’s Xbox communication.
Follow these steps to set up your Xbox parental controls.