Google 'Scheduled Pause' is potentially dangerous

Parenting can be hard -- I get it. It can be a real hassle to monitor what a child is doing 24 hours per day. Nowadays, with the internet and many connected devices, your child could be online when you aren't aware. Luckily, there are tools to help you track their activity -- up all night surfing the web? Busted!

Today, the Google Wifi router gets a new tool to help owners better manage internet access. Called "Scheduled Pause," it literally lets you pause the internet for selected devices. In other words, it could make a tablet or other device inoperable during a certain time frame -- like a bedtime. Here's the problem. What if there is an emergency, like say, a home invasion, and the child wants to use the tablet to get help? If the tragedy occurs while the internet is paused, it could be catastrophic.

"The idea behind Scheduled Pause started a year ago. While exploring how to best create tools for families, I noticed that I was having trouble falling asleep. I'd check emails and surf the web late into the night. Experimenting with options, I started using a timer on my computer to turn the internet off at 11 p.m. The first night was a shock, but after a few nights I was ready to shut down earlier. And I was more refreshed and rejuvenated in the morning," says Edith Chao, Product Manager, Google Wifi.

Chao further says, "As I started talking to more people, in and outside of Google, I found that screen time was a common challenge for parents -- from getting kids to put down their favorite game to struggling to have dinner without eyes glued to devices. We hope Scheduled Pause helps you and your family create time for everyone to be more present and enjoy everyday moments."

Will this feature stop children from using the internet when they should be sleeping? Absolutely, but at what cost? We must remember that the internet is a communication platform -- not just the web. It is potentially dangerous to make your child's communication devices inoperable during the night. There may be a situation when going on something like Facebook Messenger could literally save their life -- do you really want to risk it?

Maybe instead it would be safer to teach children why sleep is important, and trust them to follow your instructions. What do you think?

Photo Credit: Olimpik / Shutterstock