AdaptiveMobile highlights threats parents should be aware of
Dublin, Ireland, 12th September 2007 - AdaptiveMobile wants parents to be aware of the hidden threats that the new breed of mobile phones hold for children and teenagers. With smartphones like the iPhone, children have virtually the same access to online communication and content that they do on a PC, and parents need to establish guidelines and controls to make sure their children are protected.
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With the Yankee Group predicting that 54 percent of 8 to 12 year olds will have mobile phones in the next three years, parents need to have a strategy in place and speak openly to their children about the dangers mobile phones can pose. Although the real ability to protect users lies with the mobile operator, there are immediate steps parents can take to help shield their children from harm.
According to AdaptiveMobile, the top threats are:
SMS / Text – Children and teenagers can text easily and under the radar. Many teens report their most active text usage is after 10:00 p.m., and texting leaves children and teenagers open to bullying and other inappropriate communication. A 2006 Mobile Life Youth report found that 21 percent of children, particularly girls, had been bullied on their mobile phone, and text messaging is becoming an increasingly popular way for bullies to torment their victims.
Mobile internet – The Internet is generally accessed at home via the family or individual child’s PC, but how many parents think about the access their child may have via their personal mobile phone? Although not immediately obvious, the mobile phone poses a more serious problem than PC’s as they are an inherently more private medium and are therefore harder to police. Mobile phones provide access to many of the same sites as the internet, and parents need to be aware that their children can easily access pornography and a host of other inappropriate content, including violent games, from their phones.
Mobile social networking communities – Online social networking sites are becoming very popular with younger children and, whilst they are seen as a means for communicating with peers and making new friends, they provide access to a vulnerable section of the population, and expose them to threats like cyber-bullying, grooming and fraud. Popular sites such as Facebook and MySpace means children and teenagers are open to communication from more than their friends. Mobile social networking sites are a prime place for predators to hide, and parents are often not aware of this threat on the mobile phone.
What parents can do:
- Set guidelines and limits for your child’s mobile phone use. Surprisingly, many parents overlook mobile phone rules, and 11 percent of children surveyed by AdaptiveMobile said that their parents placed no restrictions on their mobile phone use. Parents should set guidelines similar to those for a PC, including how much time is spent on the phone, which applications are allowed, and who the children are allowed to contact. Although this may seem difficult to enforce, the fact that parents are showing interest in their usage patterns and behavior will ensure the child is more careful about what they are doing on their phone.
- Look to block sites and numbers. Some mobile operators offer the ability to limit access or block sites, numbers or access times for the mobile phone. Parents should contact their service provider and ask what options are available for their child.
- Know how and when your child is using the mobile phone. The phone bill provides a great snapshot of what your child is doing, and parents should review their bills carefully for late night and other types of communication, including who is sending SMS messages to their children.
- Parents can help by monitoring a child’s access to and activity on a mobile phone, but the real benefit to parents will come from offerings from the mobile operator. AdaptiveMobile is partnering with mobile operators globally to offer content filtering and other protection services to families.
