Online Safety
It’s that time of year, when kids and adults get acquainted with new devices and consider old and new habits. Technology is wealth and therefore must be received with both thanks and caution. Here are three products – all offered by Christians, and all using AI for good – to exercise that caution in a practical way for the kids and/or yourself:
Canopy: This is a filter that checks images in real-time and replaces bad images with white squares. Per the Gospel Coalition, there is no other product like this. You can currently get a lifetime 50% off with code HAPPY25.
Accountable2You: This does not filter but scans the words of sites and sends an alert to a trusted partner if bad stuff is accessed on the device. If you tell them you heard about this from your church, they may give you a promo code.
Covenant Eyes: Similar to Accountable2You, but CE scans images on the device’s screen for bad stuff. They also offer filtering. The effectiveness of this service differs depending on the device, but CE has been at this the longest.
Screen Time (Apple) or FamilyTime (Android): All of the above services work the best when paired with the built-in self-control apps that came with your device. The experts suggest “layering” such services for the most effectiveness.
Self-control is a high-powered virtue that the Spirit gives us, not an app. But these services can help along that path, for you and/or the kids.