Limiting online time

[Matt Strickland]

Hi all,

Just a question I often get asked (and I follow Geekzone for similar posts) for the limiting of online usage at home. More around once children (and adults) should be sleeping so solutions for timed profiles etc.

These are the families with the littlest of anything, so a managed device approach might be technically out of reach although netsafe and parentingplace.nz do offer guidance for various devices. But there could be the unknown devices too.

Some ISP's offer timed profiles with the routers they provide, but most on their low cost plans are a always on, all-or-nothing approach.

I'm told they are not prepared to 'manually' turn off WiFi, but would accept something like an analog plug in timer to kill the router. Of course this can be easily bypassed.

Anyone here got some non-techy advice or somewhere I could point them to?

[Sue Way]

Our Councillors came to talk to IT about an app for a student who had issues with their phone. 

We found ActionDash, https://actiondash.com/. You could set limits on specific aps or just monitor. it also has a focus mode that the user can set.

Most students will be using their phone for internet surfing. 

This isn't exactly what you are after but our councillors have found it a good talking point with students with screen time issues.

At home devices on the kitchen bench after a set time is pretty good too.

Sue Way | IT Services Director (she, her)

Te Kura Manawaroa o Pipitea | Wellington Girls' College

Pipitea Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6011