Gaming PCs and young kids

joerobert_pete06

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3:04p, 11/24/23

AG

My two boys, 8 and 7yo, are asking for gaming PCs this Christmas. I'm all for technology, exposure to PCs early and healthy moderations to video games however I'm totally against no parental controls for them. I'm ready to throw their Oculus in the trash for that reason and so with a PC, I feel like that can of worms will get bigger.

Anyone else in this same situation? What route did you go to restrict your kids ability to browse the internet.

Thanks in advance

Not a Bot

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4:51p, 11/24/23

AG

Control physical access. Keep the computer in a family room where an adult can keep an eye on what they are doing. Set strict guidelines as to when it can be used and for how long.

Absolutely positively 100% no webcams and for kids that age I would probably not let them have a microphone either.

This is a great opportunity to have a fun experience with your kids. Don't buy a pre-built computer. They provide bad value. Do some research on the parts and help your kids build it with you. It will be less expensive and can be a lot of fun.

Don't know anything about software. One of the recommendations I've seen is to set parental controls at the router level if you can and keep the router in a place where they can't get to it.

https://www.lifewire.com/best-parental-control-routers-4160776

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kyledr04

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5:24p, 11/24/23

AG

We got an Asus gaming laptop last year. My mostly uses it for minecraft and a few other things. You can put good controls on it through Google and Microsoft.

El_duderino

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7:41p, 11/24/23

I'd build and get them a set of headphones like the sennheiser hd560s. Open back and no attached mic (to avoid that concern) and they're so good that they won't need any different headphones.

joerobert_pete06

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8:51p, 11/24/23

AG

Ya I was planning to build them with them, would be great for them to learn that at that age, just worried about the internet browser. I'll see what I can do through Windows. Maybe I can create kid profiles that gives me the ability to restrict access to specific apps.

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NPH-

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4:46p, 11/27/23

AG

I've posted this before, but we have an extended wifi mesh system through eero, and the parental controls that are included within the premium monthly pricing plan are worth the peace of mind for me.

Basically you have the ability to dictate what any device that is connected to the wifi system can or cannot access. For example, I can select no adult content, illegal or criminal sites, violence, chat & messaging, etc., and any site that is keyed toward those filters will not be available (basically a blank screen or a 404 will pop up if accessed). In some cases, they won't even pop up on a google search.

It works well for us.

EDIT: here is a website with a summary of its features
https://eero.com/eero-plus#eero-plus-features

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joerobert_pete06

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In reply to NPH- • 7:07p, 11/27/23

AG

Good share, thanks!

12thAngryMan

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8:05p, 11/28/23

AG

Hardware solutions seem more foolproof, but a warning if you go the software route: you need to make sure they don't install a new browser to get around your setup. Kids are sneaky and will find a way...

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IrishAg

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In reply to 12thAngryMan • 9:50a, 11/29/23

12thAngryMan said:
Hardware solutions seem more foolproof, but a warning if you go the software route: you need to make sure they don't install a new browser to get around your setup. Kids are sneaky and will find a way...

There's always a way once you go the PC route, just depends on how inventive and motivated (keep an eye on friends) the kids are. To that point I would start having tough conversations about what the Internet really is if they're ready for a PC. So far, my 7YO is good with a locked down iPad and a Nintendo Switch, so haven't dipped into the PC world yet.