Is parental control essential for protecting children? Here’s when it works
The team of doctors and fact-checking experts from the National Medical Association addresses the main health-related concerns
As the term suggests, ‘parental control’ is a form of ‘control’ that parents apply to digital devices (from TVs to smartphones) to monitor how and when their children use these devices and, above all, to prevent them from coming into contact with inappropriate content or people. According to the Italian National Institute of Health, children spend on average between 5 and 7 hours a day online, and a study conducted on around 18,000 Italian students found that 2.5 per cent display characteristics consistent with social media addiction, a figure which, when extrapolated to the entire Italian school-age population aged between 11 and 17, corresponds to around 100,000 teenagers. Against this backdrop, many parents turn to parental controls as if they were an infallible shield. But does the research really suggest that a technical tool alone is enough to keep children safe?
What exactly is parental control and how does it work?
The term ‘parental controls’ refers to all the tools – built into the operating systems of TVs, smartphones, tablets and games consoles, or which can be installed as apps – that allow parents to filter the content their children can access, set time limits, block unauthorised purchases or track the device’s location. The most widely used operating systems offer pre-configured control features, which can be activated using a personal code chosen by the parent. There are also more advanced apps that allow parents to view browsing history, messages sent and received, and the device’s location. As the Italian Government’s Department for Family Policies points out, these tools can be applied to computers, televisions, smartphones and tablets. However, whilst they are becoming increasingly effective, they cannot be regarded as a sufficient solution on their own to guarantee children’s wellbeing online.
Is parental control alone enough to protect my children?
No, it is not enough on its own. A rapid review of the literature published in 2024, based on an analysis of 40 studies, concluded that the results of parental control as a stand-alone strategy are, on the whole, mixed: some applications bring benefits, but others show no effect; some limit young people’s opportunities for growth, and some have negative effects on communication between parents and children. The authors themselves emphasise that control tools based on techniques that infringe on privacy, on rules imposed in an authoritarian manner, or on overly strict measures tend to be ineffective and are not appreciated by either parents or children. A systematic review published in 2025 in the journal JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting found a significant effect in reducing screen time in randomised controlled trials, but only when the interventions actively involved parents in a broader educational programme. In summary, parental controls work best when they form part of a broader strategy that includes communication. We had already discussed the importance of communication and useful strategies in the factsheet ‘Doctor, is it true that teenagers aren’t at risk online?’
What does the research say about dialogue between parents and children on the use of technical controls?
Research consistently shows that active mediation – that is, talking to children about what they do online, explaining the risks, and browsing the internet together – is associated with lower levels of exposure to online risks compared with strategies based solely on restriction and control. A study published in 2025 in the journal International Journal of Adolescence and Youth found that parents employ both active and restrictive mediation, and that those who prioritise open dialogue report a greater awareness of their children’s online behaviour. Consistent findings emerge from the study conducted by the ISS on Generation Z: it is precisely those young people most at risk of behavioural addictions who report the greatest difficulty in talking to their parents about things that worry them. It is therefore not surprising that researchers and international organisations agree that digital safety cannot be delegated entirely to a technological tool. As the ISS points out in its 2025 press release to mark International Children’s Rights Day, digital safety cannot be delegated to children and is the responsibility of adults, but that responsibility is exercised above all through presence and dialogue.
How can I make good use of parental controls?
Research suggests using it in a transparent, shared manner that is appropriate to the child’s age: it is not advisable to install monitoring software without the child’s knowledge; on the contrary, it is helpful to agree on time limits together and discuss them as a family. This approach – which could be described as ‘co-regulation’ – is the one that produces the best results, according to the available literature. Finally, it is worth remembering that in Italia the law sets the minimum age for independent access to social media at 14, and that dialogue between parents and children on these issues must begin much earlier, gradually adapting to the different stages of development.
