Setting Up a Family Computer

FAMILY · GLOBAL

Setting Up a Family Computer

Separate accounts, parental controls, what they cannot do and talking about it

A shared computer works best when it is set up once properly rather than argued about repeatedly.

Separate accounts

One account per person, with the adults' accounts as administrators and children's as standard users. That keeps files separate, stops one person's settings affecting everyone, and limits what any malware can do.

A password on every account, and a different one from the email password.

Parental controls

Built into current operating systems — screen time limits, app and website restrictions, purchase approval and activity reports. Set them at the account level so they follow the child across devices.

Filtering at the router covers devices you do not control, including visitors' phones.

What controls cannot do

They do not stop a child seeing something at a friend's house, and they do not teach judgement. Filters are a seatbelt rather than a solution, and they are frequently circumvented by teenagers with more time than parents.

Talk about what to do when something upsetting appears — tell an adult, do not share it on — and make clear the device will not be confiscated for reporting a problem.

Practical setup

Keep the computer in a shared room where that is possible, back up family photographs, and keep the operating system updated.

Gaming and spending

Check age ratings, set spending limits at account level, and turn off one-click purchasing. In-game currency obscures real cost, so talk about purchases in money rather than coins.

Review family settings after any system update, which occasionally resets them.

Backups and photographs

Family photographs are the irreplaceable thing on a shared computer. Back up to two places and check the backup actually restores.

Shared use and privacy

Teach everyone to lock the screen when they walk away, keep browsers signed out of shared accounts, and use separate browser profiles. That prevents most of the accidental snooping that causes arguments.

Keep work accounts off a family machine where an employer requires it.

Maintenance

Install updates, clear old files periodically, and keep the machine off carpet so the vents stay clear.

Where the computer lives

A shared room rather than a bedroom makes supervision ordinary rather than intrusive, and it makes homework easier to support. Keep devices out of bedrooms overnight, which helps sleep more than any control.

Agree the rules together and write them down, since agreed rules hold far better than imposed ones.

Ageing machines

An older family computer is transformed by more memory, a solid state drive and a clean reinstall. Check it still receives security updates, since a machine past that should not be used for banking or email.

Wipe drives properly before passing a computer on.

Purchases

Require a password for every purchase and keep card details off the child's account.

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