Introduction to Qwant Junior
As my daughter grows up, she is fully immersed in the world of technology. Raised in an era where computers and smartphones are the norm, she is largely unfamiliar with typewriters, cassette tapes, record players, and even CDs. Welcome to the high-tech revolution, where Generation Z—the children born after 2000—thrives!
Natural tech skills of children
Today’s children possess tactile skills that are likely more advanced than mine, intuitively navigating keyboards and effortlessly searching for information online. With social media being deeply integrated into daily life, platforms like Google and YouTube have become favorites for my daughter, who uses them to find videos and images for her DIY projects and hobbies.
Safety concerns on the internet
Recently, my daughter’s search queries included adorable cat videos, fimo tutorials, and wild horses. However, some search results can be unexpectedly revealing. To safeguard her online experience, I accompany her during web browsing and focus on making our browsers child-friendly. Despite our precautions, unwanted advertisements and pop-ups featuring adult content can appear unexpectedly, and some image search results can be inappropriate.
Discovering Qwant Junior
In the last few weeks, I introduced my daughter to Qwant Junior, a search engine designed specifically for kids aged 6 to 12. I learned about Qwant Junior through Sophie, who has been actively promoting this search engine along with her team.
Impressions of Qwant Junior
Overall, I am pleased with Qwant Junior. While no product is perfect and minor issues might arise, this search engine effectively blacklists violent or inappropriate websites and whitelists educational ones. Additionally, Qwant Junior prioritizes safety, ensuring user privacy without tracking. The image search feature works exceptionally well, employing a robust filtering system. My children especially enjoy the highlighted topics on the homepage, covering subjects like nature and history.
Conclusion
My kids will continue to explore Qwant Junior, which we have set as our default browser. For now, the internet feels slightly more kid-friendly for them, a welcome change for many parents like me trying to navigate the online world safely with their Generation Z children.