Some Very Early Thoughts on Owning a Disney Circle
I know we are late to the game, but we finally bought a Circle from Disney for our house. As our kids get older and the use of devices just seems to go up, we knew it was time (past time, to be honest) to get something to help protect our family in various ways online.
If you aren’t familiar with Circle, there are two different kinds to know about.
- The type we bought simply pairs with your home’s WiFi router and covers all devices that are connected to that WiFi.
- The Circle “Go” is a paid system (month-by-month) that covers all devices no matter where they are. Since our kids don’t have their own devices (yet), we didn’t need this, but you may want to look into it.
So, what does Circle do? That’s what is so amazing. This little device handles blocking certain types of content, giving reports of the amount of time online (including how much on any specific sites or apps), limiting time online or on certain apps, not allowing a device to be used after a “bedtime,” and more. All of this is done from an app on a cell phone (we installed it on Leah’s
What was amazing was how quickly this little device has caused us to be more cognizant of our time online. Also, our kids became very aware that we could see how much time they were on any particular device. Our family has an iPad, two laptops (one at home and one that I take to work), and three cell phones (one of which is just a pay-as-you-go for specific times), so there are not a ton of devices to cover, but we have quickly learned just how much time we spend on them!
The cost of the little box we are using was incredibly inexpensive. We found it on Amazon for just $45 and, for the one that pairs with your home WiFi, that is the only cost. So for less than $50, we have taken a major step toward protecting our family online. We think it is worth it!
In the short time we have had Circle, we have all been amazed by some of the things it has done for us. Here are a couple of early observations:
- Leah and I have both admitted that it has held us more accountable! It is not that we struggled with any sinful or tempting content online, but just knowing that someone else can see how much time we are spending online has helped us put the devices down and be more intentional about getting on the device and doing what needs to be done, without going “down the rabbit hole” of lost time.
- It has led to more open discussions about good usage vs. bad usage of the Internet. Again, our kids–so far as we know–have not accessed sinful content online, but knowing that there is some accountability has helped us have the conversations about what is out there in a way that helps them know that we take this very seriously.
- Our kids have been doing other things. Again, we have only had the Circle a few days, but in those few days, we have been able to more easily tell our kids to turn off the devices and do something else. Of course, we could tell them that before, but this helps add another dimension to our ability to do
so, because they know their time online is “running out” anyway!
Now, we are not so dense as to think that this one device is the end-all-be-all, and that we will never have troubles with online activity. That much needs to be said. I’m sure there are workarounds, and we know that even good kids will test boundaries. We also know that our enemy (1 Peter 5:8) will be working harder than before to get to our kids.
But we feel like this is a major step in the right direction, and one we should have taken long ago.
If you are interested in purchasing the device for your home, you can click here (affiliate Amazon link). As of the day I am writing this, the price has gone up, but the Circle is still under $60. So far, it has been a fantastic investment for us, and we pray it continues to help us in this ever-changing world for at least a good while.
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AUTHOR: Adam Faughn
