Be Cautious with Cell Phones and Mobile Devices
- Today's cell phones are mini-computers, with full access to the internet, email, messaging, etc. It is almost impossible to monitor this activity if your child has their own cell phone in their posession when you are not around.
- Today's cell phones have built-in cameras, and can send and receive pictures directly to and from other cell phones. If your children own a cell phone, they can receive pictures of ANYTHING from other people. It is becoming a common practice for teens to distribute inapropriate pictures of themselves or others via their cell phones. Posession or distribution of under-age pornography is a criminal offence, and is not treated lightly. Teens have got themselves and their friends into serious trouble without even realizing that it was "a big deal."
- The "pay-as-you-go" phones are a good option here. We have a phone that we pay $25 every 3 months to keep minutes on it, and when one of our kids is going somewhere they can take it. The phone does not have a camera and does not have internet access. You have to look for the cheapest phones they offer to get the basic ones. Take a look at www.tracfone.com. Or, I think we got ours - an AT&T GoPhone - at Walmart or Target or someplace like that.