Is there an easy way to block YouTube for just one child?
Discussion
Kermit power said:
For those saying "block him from the Internet completely", you're missing the point.
There's plenty of perfectly constructive stuff he does on there which I'm perfectly happy for him to do. It's only YouTube that is the problem.
As an analogy, I want to withhold pudding for a week if he won't eat his vegetables, but people are suggesting I withhold all food for a week!
It would certainly be effective.There's plenty of perfectly constructive stuff he does on there which I'm perfectly happy for him to do. It's only YouTube that is the problem.
As an analogy, I want to withhold pudding for a week if he won't eat his vegetables, but people are suggesting I withhold all food for a week!
It's worth keeping in mind that whatever you do, if he wants to get around it there will be a way.
To use the corporate world as an example you have your technical policy but that's backed up with an effective acceptable use policy that sees you in front of HR if you're caught breaking the technical policy.
In this case you're HR and as I often have to explain, there aren't often 100% effective technical solutions to what is a human problem.
To use the corporate world as an example you have your technical policy but that's backed up with an effective acceptable use policy that sees you in front of HR if you're caught breaking the technical policy.
In this case you're HR and as I often have to explain, there aren't often 100% effective technical solutions to what is a human problem.
If you block a website on a router this can be circumvented by using another router. Someone else's WiFi is always readily available. Or a phone's connection...or...
If you block a website on the PC this can be undone in seconds by anyone with a fairly rudimentary level of technical knowledge.
Physical control of the devices is simple and effective. Don't give kids laptops. Give them a desktop you site in a public location in your home.
By the time they're old enough to have their own tablet you've got to have instilled the idea of self policing when it comes to the Internet.
What a bloomin' minefield for parents, these days. Especially non-technical ones. Good luck!
If you block a website on the PC this can be undone in seconds by anyone with a fairly rudimentary level of technical knowledge.
Physical control of the devices is simple and effective. Don't give kids laptops. Give them a desktop you site in a public location in your home.
By the time they're old enough to have their own tablet you've got to have instilled the idea of self policing when it comes to the Internet.
What a bloomin' minefield for parents, these days. Especially non-technical ones. Good luck!
davepoth said:
andy_s said:
What can he find on YouTube that he can't find worse of elsewhere anyway?
Block all internet unless he respects your instructions (like grown ups do at work...) and speak to him about why those instructions are important/should be respected.
Either s
t or get off the pot.
Agree with this. It's only Youtube because that's an easy website to get to. Blocking just that one will make him wander off the path, where he may stumble into more...niche websites.Block all internet unless he respects your instructions (like grown ups do at work...) and speak to him about why those instructions are important/should be respected.
Either s
t or get off the pot. Stop him from using the internet (by removing devices) for anything apart from schoolwork, and supervise him when he's doing that.
I've got parental controls software already in place that will prevent him from going to swearyf
kmonster.com or whatever, so that's easy, and equally there are plenty of sites on the web with nothing I'm worried about him accessing, which is also easy.With YouTube, though, I can't set it up to allow him to watch, for example, mountain bike technique tips, but not let him watch supposedly grown men recording endless diatribes of shouty swearing whilst playing violent video games.
The whole problem is around YouTube, which is why I specifically want to use YouTube as the sanction to control it.
Dr Doofenshmirtz said:
Run Notepad as administrator
Click File - Open - C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
Make an entry as the end of the file like this:
1.1.1.1 www.youtube.com
Save file
Job done.
If the son isn't technically minded this would work. Even if he is it might take a while to realise what had been done.Click File - Open - C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
Make an entry as the end of the file like this:
1.1.1.1 www.youtube.com
Save file
Job done.
The complete solution is a SOPHOS UTM. A 115w would do the job. It isn't remotely easy. It does give you absolute, total control over one particular internet connection and absolute total protection against internet nastiness.
It could also be the start of an interesting new career in information security. i.e. It's not easy...
Muntu said:
Dr Doofenshmirtz said:
hosts
Don said:
If the son isn't technically minded this would work.
No, it wouldn'tKermit power said:
is there an easy way to block access on the laptop just for his login?
127.0.0.1 www.siteyoudontwant.com
That should bugger that completely until he figures it out...????
Don said:
Muntu said:
Dr Doofenshmirtz said:
hosts
Don said:
If the son isn't technically minded this would work.
No, it wouldn'tKermit power said:
is there an easy way to block access on the laptop just for his login?
127.0.0.1 www.siteyoudontwant.com
That should bugger that completely until he figures it out...????
Just because you stop him accessing YouTube doesn't mean he'll stop watching them.
My parents forbid me from playing GTA3, I still played it, just elsewhere.
The reality of it is you can't police the internet, or anything really. You can't stop them buying drugs at school, or getting pissed in a field, and you can't stop them going on whatever they want online. It just doesn't work like that.
Frankly what you're saying he's watching is nothing to be concerned about, ooh a bit of bad language that he probably uses all day at school, and some violent games that are literally everywhere, and fill the media. At least he's not watching executions online, or really fked up porn, self mutilation, hate speech etc.
Speak to him about it, explain you don't think it's suitable, that you'd rather not have him watching it, maybe block all internet access for a week for all the kids (siblings will police each other then) but don't go looking for more permanent ways, as they will get round it.
The most simple way is the best, just turn it off, or change the router SSID and password, and then hide the SSID too. After a week put it back.
If he or his siblings need access for school or whatever, tell them their school library has internet access. Best to not allow him to go to friends houses for a week too, for obvious reasons.
You'll probably disagree with me, but I grew up with certain measures to block parts of the internet, none were effective, at all. Unless you work in IT then he already knows more than you, and will very quickly outmatch what you can learn to defeat your measures.
Anyway, my point is you'll be surprised how well a child will police themselves, sure you have a look around, see some horrible stuff, but the vast majority just choose not to look there again. Unless it's changed in the last 10 years it was a much more social thing anyway, rather than on your own, other than the obvious of course.
My parents forbid me from playing GTA3, I still played it, just elsewhere.
The reality of it is you can't police the internet, or anything really. You can't stop them buying drugs at school, or getting pissed in a field, and you can't stop them going on whatever they want online. It just doesn't work like that.
Frankly what you're saying he's watching is nothing to be concerned about, ooh a bit of bad language that he probably uses all day at school, and some violent games that are literally everywhere, and fill the media. At least he's not watching executions online, or really f
ked up porn, self mutilation, hate speech etc.Speak to him about it, explain you don't think it's suitable, that you'd rather not have him watching it, maybe block all internet access for a week for all the kids (siblings will police each other then) but don't go looking for more permanent ways, as they will get round it.
The most simple way is the best, just turn it off, or change the router SSID and password, and then hide the SSID too. After a week put it back.
If he or his siblings need access for school or whatever, tell them their school library has internet access. Best to not allow him to go to friends houses for a week too, for obvious reasons.
You'll probably disagree with me, but I grew up with certain measures to block parts of the internet, none were effective, at all. Unless you work in IT then he already knows more than you, and will very quickly outmatch what you can learn to defeat your measures.
Anyway, my point is you'll be surprised how well a child will police themselves, sure you have a look around, see some horrible stuff, but the vast majority just choose not to look there again. Unless it's changed in the last 10 years it was a much more social thing anyway, rather than on your own, other than the obvious of course.
I can just see him trudging off to the Newsagents with his spends for a bit of top shelf material !
To be honest, if the internet was just tits and fannies, I wouldnt be bothered, its the weirdness that is out there and the disturbing non sexual stuff as well.
I had chats with all mine about not clicking on stuff as it cannot be unseen, I got sent a video of someone getting hit by a train in the early net days and it stuck with me.
To be honest, if the internet was just tits and fannies, I wouldnt be bothered, its the weirdness that is out there and the disturbing non sexual stuff as well.
I had chats with all mine about not clicking on stuff as it cannot be unseen, I got sent a video of someone getting hit by a train in the early net days and it stuck with me.
J4CKO said:
I had chats with all mine about not clicking on stuff as it cannot be unseen, I got sent a video of someone getting hit by a train in the early net days and it stuck with me.
We found a website full of this stuff when we were at school and a teacher caught us laughing at a video of a whale being blown up on a beach, little did I know that a few days later my parents got a letter from school and they said I'd been watching "inappropriate material" on the school computer which my mum took to mean hardcore mummy & daddy bouncy bouncy stuff. As soon as I got home on the day she read the letter I was greeted with a slap on the face and about 20 more after I'd covered up.For me, this is a question of trust. You've asked him not to look at X,Y,Z and he continues.
I agree with those saying be clear on what you expect, and if he doesn't comply, sanction ABC will happen. Include the discussion of why it's inappropriate.
ABC for me would be a total ban on all electronic access at home for a period of time. My sons school have specifically told parents that they will fully support this kind of sanction so long as we tell them (they use iPads in school and for homework etc).
Just blocking the single item is not the issue, it's a typical parent / child battle of rules. Make the sanction of not following the rules something that will make a difference.....make it clear, then stick to it.
I agree with those saying be clear on what you expect, and if he doesn't comply, sanction ABC will happen. Include the discussion of why it's inappropriate.
ABC for me would be a total ban on all electronic access at home for a period of time. My sons school have specifically told parents that they will fully support this kind of sanction so long as we tell them (they use iPads in school and for homework etc).
Just blocking the single item is not the issue, it's a typical parent / child battle of rules. Make the sanction of not following the rules something that will make a difference.....make it clear, then stick to it.
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