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Cottonwood Heights Journal

Comcast promotes Safer Internet Day with new parental controls

Feb 02, 2022 04:44PM ● By Justin Adams

By Peri Kinder | [email protected]

Parents are navigating a big landscape as more children and teens gain access to internet connection and content. Common Sense Media surveyed parents and discovered that 68% of parents felt teenagers were using their mobile devices too much. The new Xfinity xFi feature gives parents the ability to oversee and manage screen time, with easy parental controls.

“Xfinity xFi provides simple tools to help our customers reduce the risk of children accessing age-inappropriate content using the xFi Parental Controls feature,” said David Salazar, Vice President of Xfinity Sales and Marketing Comcast Mountain West Region. “As a dad of three adult kids, xFi would have been my go-to tool when the kids were young, because the seamless features allow me to enable a parental control setting, set schedules and bedtimes, as well as the ability to pause all devices.”

Safer Internet Day (Tuesday, Feb. 8) brings awareness to challenges faced by families in our highly connected world and Xfinity’s new controls offer a “pause” feature so parents can limit the time their child spends online.

With a few simple steps, parents set a limit on device connectivity. Once that limit is reached, the device will pause connections to the home WiFi network, giving parents peace of mind even when they are not at home.

“Parents are clamoring for help in managing screen time,” said Ellen Pack, President of Common Sense Media. “The new xFi pause feature demonstrates that it is possible to make tech products work better for all of us. These new tools will help families create tech-free times and zones at home – including dinner and bedtime – and will go a long way to establishing healthy limits for the whole family."

When it comes to monitoring TV content, Xfinity makes it easy to set multiple television parental controls, restricting the content children or teens are allowed to access. With tools such as TV Content Locks, TV Rating Locks, Service Locks and more, parents can control TV content at all times. There are also tools to monitor apps like Netflix, YouTube or Amazon Prime Video. 

Additionally, Common Sense Media offers ratings and reviews for TV shows, movies, games and apps so parents can be informed. 

It’s never too early to talk to children and teens about internet safety. To help facilitate those discussions, Comcast provides access to information created by Dr. Michael Rich, at the Center on Media and Child Health at Children's Hospital Boston. Known as The Mediatrician, Rich developed age-based conversation starters so parents can address these critical topics. 

“Many parents feel like their kids know much more about technology than they do, so they give kids free rein online,” Rich said. “But even when kids are better at operating the technology, that doesn't mean they know how to interact with others in effective, safe, and positive ways.

Children and teens need guidance when it comes to internet safety. Parents who are aware of the pitfalls can be on-hand to offer advice. Engaged parents can also be alert for cyberbullying, unhealthy interactions or concerning conversations. 

“Just as you would guide them in learning safe ways to use a power tool or car, you need to guide them in the human relationship component of using interactive media,” Rich said. “Let them know that what happens online can be seen by anyone, and that you are paying attention because you want to be available to help when they need it.”

For more information, visit xfinity.com/hub.