In my post yesterday, I mentioned some of the potential hazards of our kids’ use of cell phones. I also offered some suggestions and resources to consider as you make a decision about when and why to allow your child to have a phone of their own.
Today, I’d like to bring up a rather controversial topic – cell phone monitoring.
Some parents and privacy advocates insist that attempts to monitor or control kids actions are degrading and are harmful to the parent/child relationship. Others argue that it is a parent’s right and responsibility to be aware of the actions of their minor children.
This is another area where only you can decide what is right for you and your family. There are valid concerns on both sides of the argument and every child is different.
Many kids today consider their cell phone to be their main lifeline allowing them to keep in touch with their friends. There is certainly nothing wrong with that. However, the anonymity provided by technologies such as texting, e-mail, and online chat can sometimes be problematic. Cyber-bullying and “sexting” are just some examples of the real dangers brought about by cell phone technology. Also, children are starting to use cell phones at an increasingly younger age and they may simply not be mature enough to know how to handle the responsibilities of cell phone use.
If you do feel the need to closely monitor your child’s cell phone activity, here is some information which may be useful to you.
Monitoring Software.
Mobile Watchdog is a software which comes installed on a smartphone. Using this software, you and your child develop a master contact list made up of people you trust and approve of contacting your child. If any unauthorized person tries to call, e-mail, or text your chiold, you can be notified instantly via e-mail or text message. You can then decide how the unidentified contact should be handled. You are also notified if the child enters a new person into their address book on the phone.
All of the child’s cell phone activity is recorded in an online database and is available for the parents to review at any time. These records can also be printed out and provided to school officials or law enforcement personnel if the need arises.
From what I can tell, it looks like the Mobile Watchdog service will work with all major cell phone carriers. You will probably need to purchase a data plan from your cell phone provider since the Mobile Watchdog program works on a smartphone. The monitoring service currently costs about $10 a month and this would be in addition to your regular cell phone bill.
Another cool feature of this program is that it allows you to keep track of your child’s appointments and events. As Jennifer mentioned in her post last week, keeping track of family schedules is always a challenge. J
If you do choose to use mobile monitoring, the folks at Mobile Watchdog recommend that you let the child know up front that they are being monitored. In fact, Mobil Watchdog is not a secretive software and actually will inform the child on occasion that they are being monitored.
Communicating about a subject such as cell phone monitoring with your child can be really beneficial to your relationship. You should definitely let the child know you are monitoring him or her because you are concerned about their safety and not because you distrust them.
If for some reason you feel the need to conceal your monitoring efforts, there is actually another product on the market called Mobile Spy. It will allow you to install the software secretly so that the child does not know they are being monitored. In her post, Jennifer has also mentioned that this particular program works on the iphone.
Other uses.
Depending on state and local laws, this type of software may also be used to monitor employees, spouses, the elderly, or those with cognitive impairments. All of these uses have their own sets of legal and ethical questions which must be considered and worked through on an individual basis.
My personal opinion.
Although I do not currently use monitoring software with either of my children, I can definitely understand the value of it and I see no moral dilemma with it whatsoever. I would feel no guilt at all if I chose to use such a means of monitoring. I would however NOT be secretive about it.
How about you? Have you ever used monitoring software or other means of “spying” on your children’s cell phone activities? What were the results?
photo credit: hughelectronic
Written on September 23rd, 2009 at 12:37 am by Nikki Brown
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