Dealing With The Scourge of Pornography (2) [ICT Clinic]

This is the concluding part of the piece that was published last week in this column and this part is designed to focus on possible solutions to the rising scourge of online pornography. Before proceeding, however, let me state that the feedback has been interesting which confirms my submission that it is indeed a burning topic.

As I already established in the earlier piece, the addiction to online pornography is actually a serious epidemic that not too many people are courageous enough to talk about but if we want to develop outstanding minds ready to face the real world of tomorrow, then we have to start looking for possible solutions even though the situation appears helpless.

I had already shared the first tip on what I believe parents should do to stem this scourge. I will, therefore, go on to state the others without delay.

2.   Make use of filtering tools

The second tip, I will like to share is for parents to make use of filtering tools. Below are some of the filtering tools and apps that parents can try out:

• CloudACL: it provides a safe browsing experience that will block unwanted content while surfing the web. It is available as an add-on for your Firefox or Chrome browsers and also has Android and iOS Mobile apps.
• K9 Web Protection: This is also a veteran, trusted by parents that are bothered about this situation. K9 is a free Internet filter and parental control software for your Windows or Mac PC.

III. CyberPatrol: As the name implies, it helps parents and guardians to patrol the cyber-space on behalf of their wards. This is a paid service and if you ask me, it is worth it, considering the dangers out there.

1. X3Watch: It monitors Internet usage, filters content that you see while browsing and allows you to share your progress with people you trust – which might be helpful for those dealing with the addiction.
2. Covenant Eyes: This provides a good level of protection for the entire family but comes in with a different approach of getting you to be accountable to somebody. So when the child visits any such sites, someone gets an email informing him or her.

Let me state that the challenge with some of these tools is that a smart teenager might be able to bypass them somehow. However, they are still a good starting point.

3.   Turn on Safe Search

Let me state that one of the ways that I have been able to fight this scourge on a personal level is by turning on safe search. In fact, — Finish Reading on the Punch Website