If there is anything I’ve been paying more attention to over the past year, it is how much time I spend online. As a writer, blogger and avid social media user, most of my career is spent online. Also, as a mother, once my son goes to bed, I spend a lot of time online, texting or connecting with my friends on social media, watching Netflix or catching up on other shows I’ve saved on the Shaw FreeRange TV app. With so much time spent using the internet, I’ve noticed that sometimes it can lead to internet burnout. It’s not the internet itself that has been burning out, but my energy levels have been. 

Thankfully, Shaw had a line to my inner thoughts as they got in touch earlier this year to give me a trial run of Shaw’s new BlueCurve experience for a couple of months. A few months in, and I’m really impressed by the service. First off, Shaw BlueCurve is an amazing advancement in smart home technology where you can really manage your household’s internet usage, get more coverage (in every room of your home!) and access all sorts of data and controls for every single device that connects to your home’s Wi-Fi. 

From a design standpoint, the new Shaw BlueCurve Gateway modem is a serious upgrade visually. Gone are the awkward, wire-ridden boxes that used to clutter the spot by your TV — instead, say hello to the sleek and sexy box that looks more like a high-end speaker than something you connect to the internet from.  I was also set-up with the new BlueSky TV box that saves all my recordings to the cloud so I can watch them on-the-go using the FreeRange TV app. Again, a beautifully designed product, minimalist in design and slightly reminiscent of a geode in shape. Goodbye oversized, heat-radiating PVRs of the past.

The next most important part of Shaw BlueCurve is the Shaw BlueCurve Home app. It’s essential and extremely helpful for monitoring your internet usage. On this easy-to-use app, you are able to set up different profiles for everyone in your home and link devices to each profile. This helps you organize what devices you use on a regular basis and maybe what you could probably unplug (energy savings are always a plus).

Not only that, but the functionality of Shaw BlueCurve is super ideal for parents who want to manage their children’s internet usage. There is a feature within the Shaw BlueCurve Home app that allows you to turn off Wi-Fi for the different profiles and/or devices, set bedtime schedules or completely remove devices from internet connectivity. This is super ideal for parents of internet-obsessed teens and gamers who really want control over their internet usage and connectivity. 

My son doesn’t have any devices of his own yet but likes to watch Netflix and YouTube on the TV. He briefly used my iPad for games when he was a bit younger but I quickly nipped that in the bud as I noticed how addictive it was for him. He isn’t the type of kid who sits in front of the TV zoned out watching a show; he never stops moving or chatting so I don’t consider this kind of screen-time particularly harmful for him as it is just kind of background noise as he builds his LEGO City sets. 

So, for now, he has access to the TV but doesn’t actually know how to use the remotes yet so essentially it is still all in my control. The Shaw BlueCurve Home app helps me set limits for how much screen time he is actually getting during the day so we can focus on other learning and outdoor activities instead of getting sucked into a content vortex!

Another amazing feature of this internet package is the Shaw BlueCurve Pods. A seriously awesome addition to the regular internet service, these sleek, off-white pods can be placed around your home to further extend your internet connection. This is extremely welcome in my home which is located in a 1912 heritage building complete with thick plaster/lathe walls. I wasn’t actually receiving Wi-Fi coverage in my bedroom until I got a Pod installed in there so I am very happy about that! 

I’m also loving the fact that I am able to restart the Shaw BlueCurve Gateway from the Shaw BlueCurve Home app remotely. No longer do I have to sit at the modem, messing around with cords to make sure that I’ve got the right one disconnected to reboot everything. It simply resets directly from the app. While you are at it, you can also check on the connectivity of your Shaw BlueCurve Pods. 

Overall, the experience has been a pretty big upgrade in terms of internet connectivity. Being able to monitor Jack’s internet usage and hit pause on certain devices is going to be a game-changer as he gets older and starts using more internet resources. As for myself, I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on my own internet usage, me and the dozen devices I have currently in use in my profile. 

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This post is in partnership with Shaw. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that are keeping this blog full of fresh content.