Between traditional media, the internet, and cell phones;
the challenges of parenting in the 21st century have become something
more than those faced by our parents and grandparents. Every generation
worries about unsavory influences affecting the next generation, but
never has the next generation had access to so much information at such
a young age. It is only fitting that we’ve dubbed this the information
age.
Thankfully for parents, the same technology that has presented
new challenges to parenting has also created solutions. Cell phones
are a prime example. Sexting has become something of a media catchphrase.
It means sending scandalous messages and/or pictures; and it is something
that is rampant in teen culture. Recent surveys show that nearly half
of 10-12 year olds have phones, and the number rises dramatically as
children enter their teen years.
The rational for getting a teen a phone is sound. It allows
them to stay in touch with parents, gives them a way to communicate
with their peers, and it can be a lifeline in case of emergency. However
the risks associated with cell phones are also very real. Not only is
texting while driving dangerous (and an activity most teen drivers admit
to engaging in) but texting in general can give the illusion of a private
conversation that is anything but. It’s a simple matter to forward
a message or picture to everyone in your phone book, and suddenly what
was meant to be private is now public knowledge.
Some phone controls are built into specific phone models.
For instance, the Firefly and LG
Migo are phones specifically designed for young children. While
they may work for a child of 8 or 10, it’s unlikely that your
14 year old will think it’s cool to head to school with one of
these phones. One of the advantages of these phones is the limited feature
availability. They don’t have text and internet capabilities,
so you don’t have to worry about your child running up your bill
that way.
Another method of control is provided by service providers. AT&T has two forms of parental controls, one is included with service, the
other one costs a nominal monthly fee. Verizon
wireless also offers a wide range of parental controls for users,
as does Sprint.
These parental controls can do several things. They can
limit when a phone can text, meaning that you can set time limits, or
even shut the phone off if it is moving at a certain speed to prevent
texting or using the phone while driving. They can also flag messages
with certain words in them for your review, or even let you read all
the messages the phone sends and receives. They allow you to set up
a list of blocked numbers to prevent unwanted people from contacting
your child. They can limit or even disable web browsing, as well as
application purchase. Those can be a lifesaver for a parent trying to
stay in budget. They can even scan incoming and outgoing pictures for
questionable content.
