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Cell Phone Safety

Guest Post by Amanda Martin:

Amanda Martin, writes about variety of mobile related topics, the favorite are apps for parental control and smartphone security tips. She contributes to the advancement of cell phone monitoring software.

In today’s modern age,  the question about mobile phones is not whether their kid should have a cell phone but when should they start using it. Cell phone safety has been one of the main issues around the controversy of kids and cell phones. Finding the right phone and the carrier should be the least of your concerns, and most of your discussions should be about cell phone safety, rules and responsibility. Don’t forget that not only children should be advised on how to use their phone – the teens need a lot of guidance too.

Cell Phone Safety: Does your child need a phone?

If you think just about the risks and safety issues you can easily come to a decision that your child doesn’t really need a mobile phone. It’s impossible to make universal rules about mobile devices for kids.  This should be a family decision. Keep in mind that a mobile phone can sometimes be quite useful. If you have sudden change in plans, or if your child spends a lot of time on his own a cell phone can actually be quite useful.  Once you have determined that your kid needs a phone, teach cell phone safety and discuss cell phone safety topics on a regular basis.

Cell Phone Safety Tips for your Child

Consider these tips to implement and teach cell phone safety to your child.

• Education. Teach your kid about the consequences of inappropriate phone use, especially about sexting and using the phone while driving.
• Select the right features. Adjust the phone features to your child’s age. Younger kids don’t really need features like web browsing.
• Find out about parental control. If your kid has internet access find out about parental controls you can use on the browser. You can also use parental control software like mSpy or other similar apps.
• Limit usage. Set rules so your child will know when he or she can use the phone. Calls or texting should never be allowed to interrupt family time, school assignments or sleep time.
• Think about monitoring services. Some carriers allow you to monitor child’s phone use. You can know if your child is calling or texting late at night or during school time.
• Teach them about safety. Make sure that your child knows never to answer calls or to response to texts from unknown numbers.
• Number privacy. Your child should never give their number to anyone or publish it on social networks.
• Control downloads. Downloading new ringtones or games can add unwanted expenses or hidden bugs. Set limits and rules about downloads.

cell phone safety Internet Safety Mobile Security Privacy for Kids