What can parents do for internet porn addiction
Internet porn addiction
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Sep 11, 2024 Filed to: Internet Filter Proven solutions
Parents with teens usually have to keep an eye out for different changes in their lives and how they adapt to them. One of them is the exposure of the online world that might be too open for them, exposing them to inappropriate content like porn. This kind of content is too graphic and impactful for young minds. When they are not taught how they should deal with such content or they are under the influence of their peers, the result could be disturbing. It is necessary for parents to keep a lookout for behavioral changes that teens can exhibit if they are suffering from teen porn addiction and how they should help them tackle such an issue.
Symptoms of Internet Porn Addiction
There are certain symptoms that parents need to look out for such as:
- Look of the Browser History of Your Child’s Device
If your teenager is spending a lot of time browsing online and you have not child-proofed their browser from filtering out certain websites, it would be essential that you keep a tab on their different browsing activities. Check on their browser history from time to time to know the kind of sites they visit. If you find something inappropriate or sites of adult content, it is best to have an open conversation about it with your child.
- Spending a Lot of Time on the Internet Alone and at Night
This is another habit that should raise a red flag. When you find your teenager has been browsing late at night or is on their tablet or phone for long, it is time to be concerned. Is your child refusing to spend time with family members or shuns social company? These are also signs that they are engaging online and alienating themselves from healthy social and physical outdoor activities. Also, no child should have any need to access their phone or computer at night unless they are working on an assignment. It is imperative that a parent keeps a close tab on what they are doing if they are working online at night.
- Taking the Device to the Bathroom
This is another sign that they are trying something inappropriate. Kids could lock themselves in a bathroom when they wish to look at porn content without being disturbed; boys would try and masturbate with such content in front of them which is something you need to track and put a stop to.
- Changing Screen When You Come in
This is another sign that they are guilty of doing something that is inappropriate. Most kids who hide what they are browsing from their parent is because they are checking sites or content that they know is inappropriate but still are addicted to it.
The above signs should raise red flags among concerned parents. It would also mean that it is high time to intervene in a way that your teenager would not shut you out but have an open and meaningful discussion with them to steer them clear of a path that would disturb their natural and healthy growth and development.
What Can Parents Do if the Teen is Addicted to Internet Porn?
When parents are faced with issues such as teenagers facing internet porn addiction, it is also a sign that they have been too liberal initially and allowed such habits to grow. In general, the following steps should be taken to help curb the habit of teen porn addiction and prevent occurrences in the future:
- Take Preventative Steps
Since no child usually wants to follow what is being told to them, simply lecturing them on what is appropriate and what is not could only prompt the wrong behaviors. For such reasons, it is best to put in controls in their devices. These can be preventive steps to prevent them from browsing certain websites, staying online beyond a certain time limit as well as limiting access to certain apps.
- Talk it Out
If open discussions are held, especially when a child is showcasing social withdrawals and similar behavior, it would help them to understand how porn addiction is affecting them. Guide them on how such addiction is unhealthy and how to focus on making friends and having normal, social interactions that are more appropriate and healthy for them.
- Be There for Them
Children who are spending too much time online and coming across inappropriate content need parental intervention more. If you have been a busy parent and not noticed these signs earlier, it might be a wake-up call for you. Spend time more with your teenager, understand their activities in school and encourage them in pursuing their interests. This would also help reduce their need or dependency on the online world for entertainment.
What Can Teenagers Themselves Do for Internet Porn Addiction?
If internet porn addiction is allowed to grow unnoticed in teenagers, they would develop and display several disturbing signs. For instance, they might showcase physical outbursts due to the frustration that they cannot share with others; many also resort to sexual experimentation or might resort to abuse of their friends which could lead to devastating results. In order to stop such effects from showing up, encourage your teenager to deal with the issue in the following way:
- Have an Open Discussion with Him or Her
This is important; read the signs and check their browsing activities and if you are convinced that your child is suffering from porn addiction then it is necessary to have an open discussion with them. Do not condemn what they are doing but rather state that their curiosity is natural. However, referring such photos and videos and obsessing over them is not the right way.
- Help Them Find Extracurricular Activities to be Involved in
Most teenagers who have excessive free time would end up browsing online content. It is necessary to direct them towards activities that are more physically involving and requires social interactions. That would help them find more meaningful interests and to use their time better.
- Steer Away from Friends Who Condone Such Behavior
This is another path that teenagers need to take. The wrong company of friends who indulge in such practices would lead them astray. It is necessary that parents communicate the same and check that teenagers have the right kind of friends to be around with or chat with online
Rely on a Parental Control App to Stop Porn Addiction
A pre-emptive step to prevent internet porn addiction that parents can take is to put in a parental control app in their teenager’s phone or tablet. There need not be any hide and seek about it; parents can state clearly that they need to ensure that their children are safe, to know their whereabouts and to ensure that they are not using apps or chatting with friends late at night or during homework time.
FamiSafe – The Best Parental Control APP to Stop Internet Porn Addiction
This app is known to have the best features for monitoring activities on children’s devices. The different features and functionalities not only help parents to track different activities that kids do on their mobile devices or computers but also allows parents to set up certain controls that can lead to blocking of inappropriate websites or content, set perimeter alerts or boundaries, set time limits on app usage and so forth.
The app comes with compatible versions for both Android and iOS devices; it is easy to install and operate after a customer registers for a membership account and opts for an annual subscription plan.
How FamiSafe Can Help Block Out Porn Sites?
This is one of the useful features that a parent can use after they install the app. The features that are relevant to this aspect are the following:
- Use website filtering feature.
- App blocking or time limit feature.
- Check inappropriate language usage or online conversations.
Website Filtering for Internet Porn Addiction
This aspect can be easily set up in the app. Once the app is downloaded on both parent’s and kid’s device, all that a parent needs to do is check the different functions. Here the website blocking feature is highlighted. Upon opening this function, there are options to choose websites to restrict access as per different categories. You can add to the list manually as well.
Blocking or Time Limits on Apps
Besides websites being blocked for access, parents can also limit the time that kids spend on certain apps. For instance, chat messenger apps can be subjected to time limits or they can be shut down after a certain time frame.
Checking Social Interactions and Conversations
Monitoring of social media activities can help parents determine the kind of conversations that teens are engaging with. The app provides daily track records of their online activities and categorizes the different apps or platforms that they have browsed or been at.
Teens can be helped to get out of internet porn addiction and a parental control app can help concerned parents monitor their activities in a remote manner, to intervene as required.
Thomas Jones
chief Editor