Cell Phone Parental Control Options
83
The Question of Cell Phone Parental Control
For some, the idea of monitoring a kid's cell phone is wrong. It's too controlling. It's equivalent to spying and that flies in the face of trusting your kids. For some, it seems that cell phone parental control is a crutch for not taking the time to develop the relationship you need with your child and teaching them the skills they need to be safe.
For many others however, the ability to monitor and perhaps restrict cell phone use is merely good parenting. It's the equivalent of checking attendance at school, the completion of homework, meeting your child's friends, and knowing their social schedule. Cell phones have taken much of a child's social interactions out of the reach and awareness of parents; parental controls and monitoring applications bring it back.
Why Would a Parent Want to Monitor Or Control Cell Phone Use?
In the end, the use of cell phone parental control tools has to suit an individual's parenting style. However, the argument for at least some degree of control is fairly compelling for most parents, at least until a certain level of responsibility and maturity has been demonstrated.
For some parents, just being able to place limits on text messaging is critical to stay within a budget. Younger and younger kids are using cell phones. Many of these kids don't yet have a good grasp on the economics of the situation.
Some reports show that as many as 45% of kids between 10 and 12 have their own cell phones. With nearly all of the traditional cell phones having web browsers this means that many kids have unrestricted access to most of the content on the web. In many instances, these phones also give kids a camera and the ability to receive picture messages, even if they aren't appropriate.
Certainly news stories have spelled out the lure and dangers of "sexting". Many kids don't fully understand the implications of sending out revealing pictures and can live to regret such errors in judgement. Any embarrasing or inappropriate text or picture messages are particularly harmful because they are so easily broadcast to large numbers of others so quickly. It can be deadly. Another frequent media report is regarding cyberbullying. It's so easy for bullies to target a child when that communication is silent and hidden from adults. Then of course, there are the predators. They lurk around, they know how to befriend children, and how to lure them when no adult is watching.
There's no doubt that cell phone parental control software and downloads can't substitute for educating kids about cell phone etiquette and the risks, but like any skill, for many parents it might be best to teach, monitor, correct, and only then turn kids loose.
More About Safety for Connected Kids
 | Amazon Price: $77.42 List Price: $95.00 |
 | Amazon Price: $5.08 List Price: $16.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $18.82 List Price: $44.95 |
 | Amazon Price: $6.72 List Price: $14.95 |
Parental Controls for Younger Kids
With the youngest kids, parents often choose to use a phone that doesn't even provide web access and allows the child to send and receive calls only from individuals in their parent approved contact list. This eliminates a lot of the risks associated with viewing inappropriate content, running up text messaging costs, or encountering predators. Certainly the Firefly phone is one example, but Kajeet phones are sometimes preferred as they are more "mature" in appearance.
Luckily, many kids cell phones also include GPS locator functions that can help put a parent's mind at ease by allowing them to know their child's whereabouts. Some cellular providers also have plans and features that can help parents. AT&T's Smart Limits and T-Mobile's KidConnect are two examples. Any search for help in monitoring/controlling cell phone use should include a check of the cellular provider's website. However, for the times when more is needed, there are other products and services described below.
Other Cell Phone Parental Control Options for Older Kids
The number of products and services available for cell phone monitoring is increasing. Some applications can even be downloaded from the internet. Many are not invisible to the user, thus your kids can be well informed about it's purpose. There are a few, however, that are stealth programs which are more appropriately termed spy programs and used more for checking up on someone who isn't trusted. Here is an overview of some of the more well known cell phone parental control options you'll find:
MyKidisSafe
One of the newer issues is MyKidIsSafe which allows parents to restrict times of use and block callers. It can also scan in and outbound picture messages for nudity and notify you if your child is in a speeding vehicle. All calls and messages can be blocked while driving and parents can be notified when unknown persons are contacting your child. The software provides a myriad of other parental control functions.
SMobile Security Shield Parental Control Edition
For around $29.99 per year, this subscription service allows parents to read any inbound or outbound text message and can be used on any web-enabled smartphone. Parents can also see a map giving the location of the phone at any giving time, block messages from selected numbers, and set up automated alerts if messages sent or received contain particular words that aren't acceptable.
TextGuard
This application is designed for Blackberry and Windows Mobile phones. For around $11/month parents can read text messages, review the browsing history and call log on a kid's phone, block spam and specific numbers, filter by keywords, and remotely disable phones.
My Mobile Watchdog
This program allows parents to view inbound and outbound messages, see who they are from/to, see picture messages, and identify "suspicious callers" and those not "approved" by the parents. The software can also allow parents to print full reports of this activity.
Mobile Spy
As the name would imply this is a stealth program. It operates on Windows Mobile smartphones and records SMS and call information as well URLs visited. The user of the phone would be unable to delete data from the monitoring program. Users can subscribe quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. The annual cost is $99.97.
SIM Card Spy
This is a USB device which would allow a parent, or other individual, to discover address book contents and text messages; even those which have been deleted from the phone. The user has to retrieve the SIM card from the phone, plug it into the dongle, and then insert it into the USB port of the computer to view the information. This device costs around $120-$150. Again, this is more of a device for using after-the-fact, with someone who isn't trusted.
Parental Controls Regarding the Use of Cell Phones When Driving
There are several products under development that are reportedly set for release soon. Keys2SafeDriving is a Bluetooth device which allows parents to embed car keys inside. When the key is in use, both voice calls and text messaging will be unavailable but 911 and other designated numbers would still be accessible if you choose.
Another anticipated product is DriveAssist which will provide the same type of functionality but will do it via sensing the motion of the car versus the embedding of the car keys.
Learn More About DriveAssist
CommentsLoading...
i think parents are rediculous when they try to be over protective with there kids by using any of these ideas
I've heard arguments both ways. Some parents want to restrict usage, others don't. Some see it as taking responsibility for their child's safety, some see it as an invasion of their child's privacy. I guess it depends on the age of the child and how you see your role as a parent.
thanks for all those links to parental control apps... I have 2 boys just getting into the age where there'll be asking for phones and I want to let them have the priviledge but help them use it wisely... great hub
Glad you found it useful panicaway.
Why would anyone be shy with their own children? Tell them from the word go that you will have access to their phone, computer, room and friends. Also, insist on meeting the parents of your child's friends. If your child refuses or keeps making excuses as to why you can't meet the parents, that relationship ends, now. Thank you for your article. There is a lot out there that can harm your babies. Heads Up!
Great information. I think I would at least want to be able to track where my child is to know that they are safe.
My seventeen year old son met some people that have a criminal background and we found out just in time when I took access to his phone I was able to confirm he had been with these people. Many teenagers go through a vulnerable time and unfortunately people prey on them. Monitoring can save your child's life.
It's not about privacy it is about protecting children and fulfilling your responsibility as a parent! Cell phone parental filter services are great for preventing cyber predators from harming kids. Once kids are old enough and demonstrate the judgment to protect themselves then they can have a phone on their own....
Very helpful information. Our 11 year old daughter is Downs. She would like a phone but would dial just anybody. To allow her to have a phone, so she can contact us, we need to be able to restrict her usage and to be able to monitor what she is doing to protect her. This is not being overprotective but looking out for our daughters safety as parents should.
This is a necessity. Do not spy on your kids. As someone suggested, let them know you will have access to their phone, but you need to monitor. For the past six months, I have been telling my eldest she can not use her phone past 10pm and that the phone has to be downstairs not in her room. You violate, you lose the phone for a week. Does that stop her? No. I am on this site because at 11:30, my youngest was on her phone even though she knows the rules, so I am online searching for software to control the times they can be on. For those that think these controls are wrong, I hope they do not have young kids, because they are living in dream land. My daughter has Skype on her laptop. I had to work late last weekend and was using her laptop. She'd left her Skype running in the background and at 2:30 in the morning, to my shock, there is a notification that her 14 year old friend just logged on to Skype! Another was on at midnight from the pop ups that I was getting. Fortunately, unlike the phone, they listen with regards to the PC and keep it downstairs.
But apparently if you don't control your kids, they'll be doing their sleeping at school, since they will sneak and not go to bed till 4am.
Thank you for information about cell phone.
VERY GOOD ARTICLE FOR PARENTS OF TEENS
Well to those parents who want to be their childs friend and for their children to feel "equal" to you, SHAME ON YOU I SAY!!!! As its not rocket science to know that none of us were lucky enough to have a parents manual "pop out" right behind the birth of our children, we learn each day as well. However, although not always the case, we are the adults who are responsible for raising our children into respectable, trusting and responsible adults. My husband once said to our 16 year old " son, why in heavens name would you seek the advice of your 15-16 year old friends who haven't truly been there done that either? Come to an adult you trust, we would love for that to be us, but any respectible adult is great". How true is that? However if you think that our 3 children are the only 3 kids in america that look at us and think " they just won't understand! I can't tell them this, or I can't ask them that, they'll say no because they don't get it", then your mistaken. A ballpark mother and I were on each side of the fence when she told me that I was robbing my child the opportunity of being an individual and being trusted. My argument was, well aren't you lucky your children ame with a gaurentee o perfectness. My hildren didn't. It was less than a year later that her 14 year old daughter gave birth to a baby boy, & unable to cope or talk with he parents, she overdosed. Later, she found that "facebookers" "myspacers" well basically the world was advising this poor child, and thw influence ultimately took her life. So you go right ahed an be best friends with your children. Don't "spy" as you put it. But don't say the world hasn't warned you, when your child does something less than perfect ( which they are designed to do as CHILDREN GROWING AND MATURING) AND HAS A HORRIBLE impact on their lives. I just hope its nit fatal, as this poor woman had to cope with over her daughter. Anyway, I THANK EACH PERSON HAS HAS MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO SHOW THE EXTENT O MY LIVE TOWARD MY CHILDREN BY STAYING INVOLVED IN THEIR LIVES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! ** GOD BLESS YOU ALL**
Madiandbridget?!?!?! Are you seriously for real? Your comment was totally absurd. Faithful Baptist home here. 4 children raised in church 2 times every Sunday, every Wednesday evening, bible schools and every revival we could possibly get to. They know the Lord is a forgiving and loving God, but that he also punishes us when we make bad mistakes. Even with that fear, they are still children living in todays world. Thanks to the informational texting alerts we were made aware that our son had planned to sneak out ( he was 15) the next weekend. My wife and I took turns staying awake that weekend, and found our son "sleep walking" all weekend! Sunday morning, our pastor asked the congregation to meet in the alter and pray for the families of David, Corbin and Anthony. The boys ( which were the childhood friends of my son that he was sneaking out with) were hit by a drunk driver. All 3 ejected and killed immediately. So I truley owe my sons life not only to the good Lord who watched over him, but the designers of this wonderful informational tool to help parents. I applaud you Lynetta, we agree with you totally!!!!!!! Use these forms of help up people, it can't hurt a thing, but can go as far as saving lives!!!!
Great article! I just wish I had better web searching skills because it took me several hours to find this info regarding cell phone monitoring! I totally agree with the parents above. My 12 yr old daughter complains that she gets no privacy, but I tell her that she will have all the privacy she wants once she has demonstrated that she can behave appropriately, and make mature and responsible decisions.
My 7-y.o. daughter has just started to use cell phone and now, she just texts her grandfather and her aunt. She also plays online dress-up games on the net but I make sure that I check the sites first to see if the contents are at least safe for her to see.
My 15yr old got a cell phone from a 19yr old "friend" to avoid parental control. What can I do?
I really love your articles, it is very useful. I will definitely follow it, Thanks for all of your hard work!
Most of parenting is about caring for our children through our instincts. Unfortunately for many, this instinct has been muted.Combine that with the misfortune that never in all of our history of care-taking have we ever had to deal with all the technology that is out there. We have no intuitions about right or wrong safe or dangerous when it comes to facebook, iphones, etc for our children. We are mystified as to how to keep them safe. I too struggle but when my antennae are up, I listen to them.Somtimes my intuitions tell me to say 'no' and deal with the tears and/or frustration. See my hub : Tears - their purpose.
Great article..thanks for sharing valuable information
Monitoring a kid’s activity is a part of his/her upbringing and not doing so counts in carelessness. So, I fully support it as well as want to share a piece of information for all worried parents and especially those having tough schedules, download StealthGenie Mobile Spy Software in your child’s smartphone and snoop them all the time without their knowledge. The software is undetectable and works invisibly without any virtual appearance and inform from call logs to live movements they are taking.
I appreciate your work, the post is really helpful. I found so many interesting stuff in your blog especially its discussion. It's some pretty great picture, I appreciate the information you provided is excellent post. iPad download movies
What a thorough article. I know parents of younger kids with cell phones should definitely heed your advice. I think at a young age there is not anything wrong with monitoring and setting limits. Your readers might be interested in my two hubs about cell phones.The first is 5 cell phone rules for young children http://ktrapp.hubpages.com/hub/5-Cell-Phone-Rules- and the second is 3 ways kids outsmart their parents when their cell phone is taken away http://ktrapp.hubpages.com/hub/3-Ways-Kids-Outsmar . Again, thanks for the thorough article, I am going to add a link to it from my 2 hubs.
Photo Credits
Introduction:chrisdlugosz.
Why Would a Parent Monitor: shadowmancer76.
Use of Cell Phones While Driving: Nate Steiner.
Older Kids: www.butkaj.com.
Nancy's Niche Level 2 Commenter 2 years ago
Great article and full of information on the safety of kids with cell phones...