Do you ever think about how safe it is to allow our children the use of a cell phone? In our day and age, we all have children using them. If your children aren’t, I’m sure that they have friends that do. Many of them are given rules and guidelines of how they are allowed to use their phones, but plenty of children haven’t been given any rules at all.
Last week, I was privileged to attend a Virtual Mobile Safety School hosted by AT&T. The session that I attended, was aimed at reaching parents of kids aged 15-17 years of age. I happen to have one child that falls into that age category, with several more following behind in the years to come, so I was happy to learn a little to help keep my kids safe!
Earlier this year, we decided to finally get another mobile phone for the family. We got it with the understanding that it was the “kids’ phone” and not just his phone. However, we’ve found that he is the main person who has the need of using it, so over time, it has become his phone. Since we waited so long to allow him to get one, I didn’t experience a lot of the issues that many parents today are experiencing with younger children and their mobile phone usage, but there are still a few things that have me concerned.
My main concerns are:
- Texting while driving (as well as phone usage while driving)
- Wrong Phone #’s
- Receiving Explicit Text Messages
It turns out that I’m not the only one with these concerns!
According to AT&T, after a recent poll, other parents are concerned about the following:
89% are worried about texting and driving
67% are concerned about bullying text messages
69% are concerned about sexually suggestive messages
77% are worried about their kids receiving calls from unknown numbers.
What’s scary about these #’s is that their concerns are very valid! According to AT&T, they found the following to be true:
- Over HALF of the kids polled have been in a car with someone who was texting and driving.
- Over 1 in 5 have received a mean text message.
- Almost half have a friend who received a sexual picture or message.
- 69% have received a call from an unknown number.
- In 2011, the U.S. Department of Transportation estimates that as much as 1.6 million accidents a year are related to the use of cell phones.
What can we do about it?
One of the biggest keys to combating these concerns is to talk to our kids about them. Only 2 out of 5 kids have said that their parents have talked to them about their phone usage. If we talk with them and educate them on how to handle certain situations, then they will know what to watch for and how to respond.
Another thing we can do is to set boundaries! 90% of the kids polled have said they’d be OK with their parents setting rules for their phone usage, while only 66% do have rules to abide by. Many kids do have rules, but are their rules strong enough? Be sure to follow up on the rules that you do set. Check their phones to see if they’re following the rules that you put into place.
Lastly, we must set good examples! If we don’t want our children to text while driving, then we must not text while driving! If they know that it is important enough for you to not do it, then they will be more willing to take it serious and follow your great example!
Additional Resources:
AT&T has put together a variety of resources to help parents. From learning what other families are doing through videos, or downloadable tip sheets, the website has a wealth of information available to anyone who is interested.
Take the Pledge to Never Text & Drive by going to It Can Wait.Com.
What are YOUR biggest concerns when it comes to mobile phones and the safety of your children?
Disclosure: I am receiving compensation for this series of posts through The Motherhood. Opinions are always my own and in no way reflect the opinions of AT&T.
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