Monthly Archives: November 2014

How to Prevent Your Children From Searching for Adult Content

Studies have shown that “SEX“, “PORN” and many adult terms are among the most commonly searched terms among children (both boys add girls) under 12 years of age.  Learn more – Click Here

That’s right, if you do nothing, your children will very likely be exposed to highly exaggerated sexual content at a much younger age and way more frequently!

While you cannot monitor your children’s online activity 24/7, there are easy and effective solutions that can help.   Here are our top recommendations:

Solution #1: Bookmark  KidzSearch.com as your child’s computer or device home page

KidzSearch.com was created by parents just like you. While the search results of KidzSearch are actually provided by Google, it has added custom features to make it easier and safer, specifically for kids. It enforces a special type of Google search results called SafeSearch. SafeSearch results use the most advanced safety algorithms in the world, designed by Google engineers, to filter out adult content. In addition, KidzSearch maintains an extensive list of blocked keywords which remove any pg-13 type stuff that might otherwise get through the standard Google SafeSearch filters. They also have proprietary artificial intelligent systems that are able to identify and flag spelling variations of banned terms. No other system comes close to their filtering and you are encouraged to compare different sites.

It’s kind of like Yahoo! or Google, but safe for kids (Yahoo! and Google are NOT safe). To effectively use KidzSearch, we recommend parents set KidzSearch.com as their default Browser Home page and what comes up when it first starts:

Microsoft Edge:

  • Select Settings from the menu.
  • Choose ‘Start, home, and new tabs
  • Click on the ‘Open these pages’ option
  • Click ‘Add new page’, or select edit (3 dots icon) if one is already set.
  • Enter https://www.kidzsearch.com and click on Save
  • Go back to Settings
  • Select Appearance
  • Turn on Show home button.
  • Enter https://www.kidzsearch.com to also set your home icon link that appears on your browser.

Internet Explorer:

  • Open Internet Explorer Click the Tools button (next to Home and Bookmark button), and then click Internet options.
  • On the General tab, under the Home page, enter: https://www.kidzsearch.com and then Click Apply, and next Click OK

Google Chrome:

  • Click the Chrome menu on the browser toolbar and Select Settings.
  • Select ‘On startup
  • Choose ‘Open a specific page or set of pages
  • Click ‘Add new page‘ or edit any existing ones that have been set.
  • Enter https://www.kidzsearch.com
  • Under “Appearance” select the “Show Home button” option and click “Change
  • Enter: https://www.kidzsearch.com and press Enter key.

Firefox:

  • Open settings and select and click on Home
  • Under New Windows and Tabs select Custom URLS
  • Enter https://www.kidzsearch.com in the Homepage and new windows input box
  • Next, Open: https://www.kidzsearch.com in your browser.
  • Click the icon to the left of the web address, drag it to the Home button, and release.
  • Click Yes to set the page as your homepage icon link.

Solution #2: Manually turn on Google SafeSearch Feature:

You can also manually turn on the SafeSearch Feature on Google with the following instruction.

However, we do not recommend this because unlike other Google services that are synced to your Google account (e.g. you access the same Gmail account on your laptop and on your smartphones), the SafeSearch Setting is only associated with one computer. In other words, it will NOT work on other computers using Google.com unless you are logged into your account on them and have the correct settings set. If this sounds confusing to you, imagine how confusing this will be for your kids! In addition, Google.com, even with SafeSearch turned on, still has pg-13 and some r-rated type results that are not appropriate for most kids. KidzSearch prevents this results. You can easily test this out by comparing Google.com results with KidzSearch.com results for web, images and video content. You will quickly see why we suggest using KidzSearch instead of this method.

Another big disadvantage of relying on Google SafeSearch settings is that people often need to clear their browser cache.  Even if you don’t manually clear the cache, your computer may automatically clear the cache during reboot, as well as when you use an anti-virus, PC Booster, or Anti-adware/spyware products. When this happens the search results can contain adult content. KidzSearch works the same even if the browser cache is cleared or another computer is used.

Finally, KidzSearch also has a great environment that makes using the internet more enjoyable for kids, such as allowing them to create customized screen backgrounds, fun and safe learning and skill games,  homework help Q&A section, KidzTube handpicked videos, collection of the best websites for kids, kids news, safe kids radio, and much more. It is like Yahoo!, but designed for kids.

Instructions:

  • Go to the Search Settings page at https://www.google.com/preferences
  • In the “SafeSearch filters” section: Turn on SafeSearch by checking the box beside “Filter explicit results.”

You can also use OpenDNS to help block adult content sites from appearing, but it will only work on the computer being used. Further, while it is effective at blocking porn, a lot of pg-13 and even r-rated content may get through it.

KidzSearch App
Another option is to install the KidzSearch App which is available on all devices, including Chrome and Desktop computers. The app has some extra features, like adding your own websites and keywords you want blocked that are not covered by KidzSearch. It also checks all pages for safety, including YouTube, before showing them.

ATTENTION Teachers & Parents: Do You Know What Your Kids Are REALLY Searching for?

boy search sex and porn

It’s no surprise that kids are curious about…, well, just about EVERYTHING.  But do you have a clue what your kids are REALLY searching for on the Internet?

According to a report conducted by Norton’s (OnlineFamily.Norton) that included internet searches on Google, Bing, and Yahoo, top 10 search terms for kids between 6 and 12 years old included YouTube, Facebook, Taylor Swift, Sex and Porn!

That’s right! Unless you have manually set your Google Safe Search settings, or have your children using a safe-search-engine, like KidzSearch.com, your child can access the exact same ADULT search results as you do!

Top 10 Search Terms for Children Between Ages 6 – 12 

  • Facebook
  • Google
  • YouTube
  • Sex
  • Taylor Swift
  • Porn
  • Yahoo
  • Jennifer Lawrence
  • Dog
  • Fred (a popular YouTube channel for kids)

The Problem Don’t Stop Here…

What I found even more shocking was that “sex” and “porn” aren’t the only sexual terms to make it to the kid’s Top 10 list.  Top search term 3, 28, 72, 86, 89, 91, 92, 94, and 95 were also search queries for other sexual body parts and related terms (especially the male anatomy).

Solution

If you do NOT want your kids being exposed to adult content, you can change your search settings directly via Google, which you can learn more about here.

However, an easier and effective way is to use a kid-friendly search engine like Kidzsearch.com, which will automatically filter and block out adult websites, images, and videos.

 Try it Now (It’s Free):

Go ahead!  Challenge KidzSearch.com with the most unusual adult terms:

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Conclusion

Sooner or later your kids will grow up and be exposed to sexual content. The question is “how soon“, “what kind” and “how often.”  Studies have shown that if you do nothing, most kids will be exposed to highly exaggerated adult content as early as 10 years of age!

If you would like to keep their innocence a little bit longer, and educate them about sexuality at a more controlled environment, we highly recommend that you set your children’s homepage to KidzSearch.com and automatically filter out all adult images, websites, and videos.  Learn More – Click Here