Back to School tips during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Providing their children with resources to thrive in a classroom is every parent’s goal. Allowing their child to use the computer all day for online schooling is a different challenge altogether. With school starting soon, there is no better time to review best computer safety tips, practices and useful apps to keep your children safe.

Tip 1: Keep the computer in a public space.

When the computer is kept in a public space, you are easily able to monitor what your child is doing, control their screen time, and answer any questions they may have. Microsoft offers easy to use parental control tools, which allow you to restrict programs and websites, control screen time and monitor your children’s overall activity.

If your kids have any reservations about using these tools, talk to your children about why you’re doing it and explain the reason behind it, keeping them safe.

Tip 2: Upgrade your memory and storage.

As your children progress in their studies, they may have schoolwork that is image, video and audio intensive. If their computer is unable to run programs with high processing requirements, it may be time to upgrade to a higher memory or storage capability.

The latest operating system will help keep your child’s computer protected from security risks. Microsoft recently pulled all support for Windows 7, meaning that if you’re still using it, your computer needs to be updated.

Tip 3: Make sure to clean and tune.

In a general clean and tune, you or your trusted computer technician will check for updates to your security and operating systems, perform virus and malware checks—removing them if possible—and cleaning the interior of your physical device.

It is important to have a clean and tune done before school starts to ensure your computer is running safely and effectively.

Tip 4: Allow Bark to be your child’s watchdog online.

Bark is an award-winning parental control app that analyzes emails, texts and social media and sends alerts to parents when any potential issues might arise. The internet is a scary platform for cyberbullying. Prevent issues before they occur by trying this app free for seven days. The basic package is $5 monthly and the extensive one is $14 monthly.

Tip 5: Block inappropriate apps and websites with Qustodio

In case your kid leaves the house for any reason, Qustodio allows parents to track a child’s mobile device on a map. This app is also useful for limiting games and monitoring overall screen time on their computer.

The digital world can be a scary place for children. Yet, parents don’t have to monitor their child’s screen time alone. Let your trusted computer service technician walk you through the options available to you.