Although the increased independence that a cell phone might offer a child can be good, it can also be a negative thing. Consider that with a cell phone, your child will simply have another way to communicate with the outside world that you will have little supervision over. Cell phones may even be a distraction to kids. We all know that they are a distraction for drivers, but one study has also shown that cell phones can be a big distraction for kids crossing the street and could lead to more accidents and injuries. Cell phones allow kids to keep their contacts secret and can facilitate contact with bad influences. The Office of National Drug Control Policy has reported that some teens are using technology and the Internet to get drug information, and cell phones provide instant access to information and sources of drugs.
What you can do about it.
Know your children's cell phone contact list.
Be specific about cell phone use and set up specific rules about how and when the phone will be used. Set a limit on how much time children can use each month and how many text messages they can send and receive.
Emphasize and enforce the rule that teens should never use a cell phone while driving.
Establish rules of etiquette, such as never using a cell phone within 20 feet of another person.
Carriers offer some options for parents to limit what their kids can do with their Web-equipped phones here are some of them:
If your child's phone has Internet access, check with your service provider to find out how you can block adult sites. The provider might do it for you, or you might have to do it on the phone.
Cingular cell phones give adults an easy option to block adult sites, allowing parents to block or filter content.
And if your children figure out a way around your password and changes the filters, Cingular sends parents an email letting them know the content blocking feature has been bypassed.
Verizon Wireless added new parental controls for cell phones last year. Users can choose from three levels of settings that will filter the content available on the phone based on a rating system that takes the age of the user into account. The most restrictive setting, aimed at kids between the ages of 7 and 12, blocks access to e-mail, instant messaging, social networking sites and chat groups. The free service also filters Verizon's V CAST multimedia player that plays video and music according to the setting chosen by the parent. To sign up, Verizon customers can visit the Web site or call customer service.
AT&T Inc. has this plan Smart Limits plan for $4.99 a month. The plan lets users limit the number of text and instant messages sent and received.
Parents can block content that may not be appropriate for younger users, like chat rooms and dating sites, on AT&T's home page called MEdia Net, which comes with most of AT&T's basic cell phones. Or they can block access to the Web entirely.
T-Mobile USA Inc. offers a free service called Web Guard that filters mobile Web sites that might be inappropriate for younger users. It automatically blocks the search and browsing of several categories of sites, including dating, gambling and sex . The company says the service works on most phones, but may not work at certain times and in certain locations.
Sprint Nextel Corp.'s free service is called Web Access and limits Web browsing to about 100 preselected sites that are considered safe for all ages. Parents can turn on the service from their profile on the Sprint Web site or from their child's phone. All other sites are blocked. E-mail, instant messaging and access to mobile chat rooms can be blocked only by turning off the Web features on the phone itself. free service is called Web Access and limits Web browsing to about 100 preselected sites that are considered safe for all ages. Parents can turn on the service from their profile on the Sprint Web site or from their child's phone. All other sites are blocked. E-mail, instant messaging and access to mobile chat rooms can be blocked only by turning off the Web features on the phone itself.
That with a cell phone,will simply have another way to communicate with the outside world that you will have little supervision over.Cell phones may even be a distraction to kids. We all know that they are a distraction for drivers, but one study has also shown that cell phones can be a big distraction for kids crossing the street and could lead to more accidents and injuries.
ReplyDeleteParents need to remind their teens that they should not talk on the C-phone while driving. That they must use caution while on the web, and that what they put on public sites, while being a game to them might not be a game to adults that wish to take advantage of children. Public education should be taught to children in schools and in church, and should be included in the purchace of a C-phone. About the dangers of using a C-phone.
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