Tips on the Telephone

Cell phones are everywhere. Just take a stroll around your local mall and try to count how many people are using their cells phones as they walk around. My guess is the number will be so high, you’ll lose count. Younger and younger children are now using cell phones as well. If your child doesn’t have a cell phone, more than likely some of his or her friends do.
Parents need to know what is available on their children’s cell phones: what can be accessed wirelessly, downloaded, viewed, etc. Think of it this way, the cell phone screen, has begun to replace the television and computer screen. Here are 10 points regarding the trends on cell phones:

1. They are becoming more and more like a mobile computer everyday. So the same risks that your children have online are transferring to the cell phone.
2. Next year, the U.S. cell phone market will be considered fully saturated. That means everyone in this country will have easy access to cell phones.
3. SPAM, both for business and the Adult industry will be more prevalent on cell phones (just yesterday, I got a random text message on my cell phone to “Have a good time with…”)
4. Social networking sites for teens such as My Space, Facebook, Twitter, etc are being made fully accessible with cell phones. They will be replaced on cell phones by sites like Moco Space.
5. Privacy will become more and more of an issue. Cameras on phones already are an issue. Moblogs (mobile weblogs) will accelerate these privacy issues as users begin to share every aspect of their everyday lives.
6. Cell phone addiction will become a serious problem.
7. Access to pornography will be easier. All kinds of adult content are moving to mobile phones.
8. Cell phone communication, texting, etc will foster a form of communication that facilitates communication without the reality of person-to-person interaction.
9. Cyber Bullying is now using texting and social networking to become a greater threat to children.
10. Parents are behind on the technological curve. Most children have a better understanding of what their cell phones are capable of than their parents. This will remain that way until parents actively engage using technology with their children.

If your children are interacting virtually and building relationships there, then a part of building your relationship with your children needs to occur there as well. Do not merely be content to say that technology is over your head!