Disclaimer: The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.
Kids today are submerged in technology and digital devices. 4 years ago when I was teaching Pre-K, I was amazed at how tech-savvy the 4-years-olds in my class were! Nearly all of them could operate a touch-screen tablet, and some knew how to use game apps and play online videos. Because technology is so user friendly, I want to make sure that my little ones don’t stumble on to content that I wouldn’t want them to see. We recently got a Cujo from Best Buy so we can start monitoring our family’s online activity.
Communicate the Internet Rules
Before turning to technology to help keep an eye on my kids, we talked about what they can and can’t do online. My little ones know that they need to have Mommy or Daddy with them if they want to go online for any reason. I have more serious conversations with my teenager about cyberbullying, online stranger danger, and sending or receiving inappropriate pictures. The Cujo adds an extra layer of security to our family’s online activity because it allows me to select which devices can access sites for gaming, shopping, rated R content, and social media.
How Cujo Works
The Cujo is a little gadget that connects with your internet router. It provides business-level internet security to block malicious sites and hacks. But what I love is how it allows me to set parental controls for what my kids have access to while on their devices. I can set restrictions and get alerts about suspicious all through the Cujo app on my smartphone. Our Cujo is currently configured to 17 devices, and because it’s built with 1Gb ethernet, it doesn’t slow down our internet one bit!
Simple Safe Browsing
For me, our family’s network security has to be easy to set up. Using Cujo’s app, I was quickly walked through the process of connecting the little firewall device to our internet provider’s router. The website and app give explicit directions, but I called a tech support representative anyway. He was very helpful and it just made me feel better to have an expert guide me through the steps.
Monitoring the Family’s Online Activity Right from My Phone
Inside the Cujo app, I created profiles for each of my family members. Then I assigned the devices each one uses and set restrictions to those devices. He may be 14, but under my roof that’s still not old enough for my oldest to be visiting websites that post nude or 18+ content. The little ones don’t really use the internet. Even so, I still restricted them from accessing shopping sites of any kind. I don’t need an ‘accidental’ Amazon delivery of hundreds of dollars of their favorite toys! The app also lets me set time limits for my kids’ devices, monitor their social media activity and even pause all internet activity on a device.
I wonder how seriously parents take their family’s internet security. Aside from restricting your child’s online activity, you could risk tremendous damages from hacks or spyware. Not to mention the possibility that one of these attacks could steal your personal information. This simple device could make a world of difference to your family’s internet security.
What feature of the Cujo are you most interested in? The parental controls? Business-level security? Customizable restrictions based on profile and device? Share your thoughts in the comments!
