Thursday, April 14

Are mobile phones really safe for kids?

Mobile phones are the favorite and widely used medium of communication. It has become practically impossible to stay mobile and connected as well with the world without a mobile phone. And you would agree kids are not behind in this sphere as well. Kids want and demand a separate cell phone for themselves. And indeed it has become a necessity for kids as well!


Mobile-phones-and-kids-safety
Be aware of the side effects of a mobile phone for kids.

As most of the tween and teens are on their toes attending different classes and activities or catching up with friends, it is important to keep a track of their whereabouts and their plans for the day. Mobile phones serve the purpose to keep the kids stay connected with their parents. Besides, to stay in tune with the rest of the world like friends, teachers, activity classes, and others the cell phones are the constant companion for kids.

Though mobiles are friendly gadgets, yet there are some probable dangers that may affect the safety of kids. Parents should be aware of such safety concerns and accordingly protect their kids from such dangers arising from the use of mobile phones.





Kids and Mobile phones- Dangers


Cell phone radiation is considered dangerous. And in the case of kids, the threat is more serious.

Staying on phones for a long duration can cause digital eye strain among kids.

Sharing personal numbers with strangers can be risky as well because the same can be used for illegal purposes.

The use of cameras in mobile phones has deteriorated the security of the kids as anyone can take snaps and use them in whichever way. Moreover, the sharing of videos and photos on mobile phones may put the reputation of the user at stake if the data is located by some criminal or anti-social people.

Internet installation on mobile phones opens up a whole lot of ways that can lead to cyberbullying and harassment of kids. The profiles updated of teenagers can be misused and exploited for unlawful purposes.

SMS and texting may pose yet another kind of threat in the form of bullying and sexting which may mentally torture the kids.

Too much usage of mobile phones results in inflated bills which may be difficult to digest by parents.

In view of the above threats, one can easily conclude that mobile phones have some concrete threats along with some sensible benefits. Taking away cell phones is not the right solution. However, conscious safety measures can minimize such threats and maximize the safety of kids. 


Tips for the safety of kids from Mobile Phones


Some of the easy to implement means of protection are stated below:
                                        
Let the child use mobile phones but with certain guidelines.


  • Educate the child about probable threats and unlawful means that can be adopted by criminal-minded people.
  • Ask the kids to share their numbers with friends and known people only.
  • Avoid disclosing the mobile number on social networking sites or other kinds of websites as the number can be misused for exploitation.
  • In fact, avoid providing internet facilities on cell phones as it is difficult to safeguard the kids while they are outside homes and using the internet for socializing or surfing.
  • Kids can be educated to use camera facilities diligently and protest if somebody else photographs them without permission.
  • Kids can be instructed to use mobiles only when required in order to stay protected from radiation and also keeping the bills on the lower side.
  • Provide only such features on the phones which are useful for kids. Feature such as GPS technology has a flip side as well and it's better to miss it on kids’ cell phones.

These basic safety measures for the usage of cell phones by kids are compulsory and important to protect them.

Related post:
Ensure internet safety for kids

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