There has been a lot of talk about mobile phone safety, but it has
largely focused on distraction while driving as well as the possibility
that cell phone use might cause health problems.
But now there's another reason to be concerned. Mobile phones in Japan
and Europe have been linked to harassment and sexual exploitation of
both children and adults.
Talk to Your Kids
I'm not suggesting you throw out your cell phone. I use one, as do my
wife and two kids. But, if you're a parent, you should talk with your
children about how to protect themselves from exploitation, bullying and
invasion of privacy as well as an out-of-control phone bill.
When cell phones were first introduced, they were expensive status
symbols, used mostly by well-heeled business people. Now they're
ubiquitous. The Yankee Group estimates that a third of U.S. children
aged 10 to 19 already have cell phones, but their ranks will grow to
two-thirds by 2005. If Japan is any indication, that could be an
understatement. Already, more than 80 percent of Japanese high school
students and 25 percent of junior high students are equipped with mobile
phones. Cell phones are also extremely popular among kids in Europe. The
majority of Britain's 7-to-16-year-olds have cell phones, as do 75
percent of teenagers in Scandinavia.
In 2003 I participated in a conference in Tokyo on children, mobile
phones and the Internet, sponsored by U.K.-based Childnet International
and the Internet Association of Japan. The conference opened my eyes to
both the possibilities and dangers inherent with kids' use of cell
phones. On a positive side, a cell phone can be a great communications
and safety tool. In addition to keeping up with friends, kids can also
use it to check in with parents, respond to parents’ calls and phone for
help in an emergency. I gave both my teenage kids cell phones not as a
privilege but because my wife and I want to be able to reach them and
them to check in with us when they're out with friends. We don't just
allow them to carry the phone we insist on it, especially when
they're out at night alone.
Putting the World in Children's Hands
But there are some dangers associated with this technology. When you put
a cell phone in children's hands, you're giving them access to the world
and the world access to them, including when they're away from home and
parental supervision. What's more, today's cell phones are not just
mobile telephones. They're also Web browsers, instant messengers and
e-mail terminals. In other words, just about everything you can do from
an Internet-connected PC, you can also do from a cell phone.
The Japanese Cabinet Office surveyed teen use of mobile phones and found
that 30 percent of the females and 37 percent of males under 20 had
accessed "dating sites," which, in some cases, have led girls and women
into unwanted sexual encounters with men who expected more than just a
"date."
Until recently most of the problems were related to "texting," but is
changing. Most companies now offer phones with color displays, built-in
digital cameras and the ability to instantly transmit photos from phone
to phone, via e-mail or to Web sites. There are also phones that can
record moving video.
What's more, cell phone companies are starting to roll out their
higher-speed third-generation (3G) networks, which make it practical to
download graphics, photographs and video along with sound and text. One
company is even talking about experimenting with downloading aroma,
though it's not clear whether this is something people will actually
want.
A color screen means that your child can look at the same type of
graphic content available on the "fixed" Internet from home. A built-in
digital camera means that your child can not only see inappropriate
material, but can send it as well. That's my biggest concern. Kids --
and adults, for that matter -- need to be extremely cautious about the
way they use this new technology, especially when it comes to sharing
digital photos or movies. Pushing a few telephone buttons can send a
child's image, phone number and mobile e-mail address to the wrong
person. It’s even possible to use your cell phone to instantly post
photos on the Web for all to see. Already, some gyms have banned cell
phones in the locker room because of concerns about inappropriate
photographs.
I'm also concerned by the fact that phones are phones. Predators cannot
only send kids messages, but they can also call them to arrange
meetings. Because kids can access the phone while they're away from
home, they're particularly vulnerable because they are out of their
parents’ reach. It's common practice in Europe for predators to groom a
child on the Internet and then contact that child via cell phone to
arrange a face-to-face meeting, according to Childnet International CEO
Stephan Carrick Davies.
The user of a cell phone is not necessarily anonymous. Although it can
be disabled, most cell phones have caller ID on by default. That means
that when you call or send a text message to someone, you are giving
that person your phone number, which he or she can use to make harassing
calls as well as to send unwanted instant messages and e-mail. It's not
uncommon for bullies to use cell phones to harass other kids and,
tragically, it's not unheard of for children to be contacted on their
cell phone by adult predators.
Bullies Packing Cell Phones
Bullying by cell phone is becoming a major problem in the United
Kingdom, according to John Carr of NCH (formerly National Children's
Homes), a British child-advocacy organization. A survey conducted by
that group found that "mobile phones appear to be the most commonly
abused medium with 16% of young people saying they’d received bullying
or threatening text messages, followed by 7% who had been harassed in
Internet chat-rooms and 4% via e-mail." If your child experiences
harassing phone calls or text messages, call the provider to see about
getting the number changed.
If all that weren’t enough, there is another potential problem. The
Federal Communications Commission has mandated that phones be equipped
with "geo location" systems designed to make it possible for others to
pinpoint exactly where the phone is located. The main purpose of this
system is to enable 911 operators to locate cell phone callers in case
of an emergency, but there also are planned commercial uses of this
technology to allow businesses to offer location-based products and
services to cell phone users. While privacy safeguards will be built in,
they can also be defeated. As these services become available, children
and adults need to learn how to control them so that they aren't used
for the wrong purposes.
Finally, there is the issue of cost. If they're not careful, kids can
easily spend $100 or more a month on cell phone fees. Many plans have
free nights and weekends, but make sure your child knows the company’s
definition of "night," which sometimes starts as late as 9 p.m. Also,
there is typically a charge for both incoming and outgoing text
messages, Web access and special features such as downloading games,
screen savers and ring tones. One way to control costs is to get kids a
pre-paid service: When they're out of money, their phone stops working,
other than to call 911. Another is to talk with your provider about
package deals -- such as a "bucket" of minutes or text messages. At the
very least, talk with your kids about using their phone responsibly.
ere are some informational
articles on child safety.