Children get first mobile at average age of 8

[insulin]

No I do not agree with that, if I had my way I would get the suppliers to build a mobile phone that can be monitored properly and give it to every single child because today in the now... there are criminals about looking to harm children and we cannot turn a blind eye on this. Being able to phone mom or dad or even the police is a powerful tool on its own.

[garthu]

Really debatable subject... people die for a cell phone, some die because of the lack of a phone...

I still think that i prefer my kids to have the phone. They are well trained in not publicly displaying them as well! For me to know where they are, that i can contact them anytime is really important for my own comfort

[insulin]

Yes... I think you pointed it out best of all. Mobile phones must be out of sight out of mind and only be used when you have some privacy. It is sad that it has to be this way but for now it is a must. The same rules go’s for my IPod and notebook. I make a point to keep these things hidden and even then robbers will rob you because they can and because our police are really useless...

The fact is that the mobile is not the problem but rather the criminal element surrounding the mobile is the problem. But! It is not just mobile phones. Flashy cars and jewellery is also targeted by the criminal element.

So in its own right the mobile is just another excuse for violent crime...

[Frankincense]

no sweat...if it's the crime around that handset that concerns...but would still like to track dem....just buy your kids the Jackets or underwear with GPS chips in them...it's a new fasion...

[insulin]

Truth is the world is getting smaller and more people disappear in the middle of the day so yea bring the tracking systems but rather have them implanted. Can’t get rid of something if it is next to your brain.

[twinscythe12332]

which can then be used against you

[insulin]

See in the end everything is like a gun. Now a gun can be used safely and responsibly but it can also be used to kill and intimidate. But it’s not the gun’s fault it is the person that uses it... Good or bad no matter it will happen eventually

[twinscythe12332]

exactly. to protect and serve or to kill and intimidate.

[tec0]

Bing cyber smart.

Well a while ago we had a discussion about social networking on the net and mobile phone. Yet another South African girl is now missing and the cops are investigating her contacts on the net. Still are you cyber smart?

Well, the truth is the truth some network systems want your real information and then it is just a matter of time when someone will win your trust and then it might end badly for you. So again I ask about legislation and the use of your private information?

I know of sights that will not allow you to join them unless you give them your phone number? Why do they need your phone-number and who has access to this information. The truth is there are a lot of monsters in the world and by not taking care you may end up being there next victim.

Now this is not the first-time that someone got abducted and one may only speculate the outcome. The truth is that your security is in your hands. If you join an online social network and this network wants more and more personal information dump it... you don’t need it... and you will be safer without it.

If you befriend someone on the net and that someone wants to know more and more... Ask yourself why? What is his or her real interest? But please above all stop and think about it. You don’t know who is on the other side...

Here are some pointers to keep you safe. Feel free to add your own.

>> Never give up your home address
>> Never give up your Phone numbers
>> Never give up your Name or Surname
>> Never agree to face to face meetings “not even as group�
>> Most import of all is do not trust anyone

[AndyD]

I think children need tools rather than rules. The tools they need would be few and would evolve with their environment and could be applied to all situations they find themselves in. If you go with the rules approach the list will be long, and there will always be a time where the child must make a decision about exceptions.

It's a very small percentage of people who would willfully endanger a child, why teach the child to tar the whole population with the same brush? This will ultimately be to the detriment of the child.

[Lou]

It is scary if the technology dangers aren't completely eliminated.

I hear you softdux, controversy over cancer, what content they get etc BUT (aha the big but) my daughter is 10 and got her cell at ten. When she goes out to friends etc i wouldnt have it any other way. She also has a panic system on her phone. Wouldn't have it any other way. Don't know if i could let her out to sleep overs etc unless she had it with her. Also have a 15 year. My agreement is that i have access to whatever they do. I can check history at anytime i feel like it. The rules are no chatting unless they can answer EXACTLY who that person is and where they live etc etc. They cant delete history if i do spot checks. They know it's for there safety as i show some of the horror stories..

Way i see it is that i have to keep up with the technology to know what to look for... just my opinion..

You're dead right about keeping up with technology garthu and, I also think you're right about giving you kids cell phones at very early ages.

However, I recommend that you take a look at the "Parent's Guide to the CyberWorld of Children" and then review your belief that keeping a close eye on what they've been doing (still a good idea) is really getting the job done.

It's a real eye-opener.

I understand your point of view on that, and you have a good methodology going. Is there a stage you reach before they feel you invade their privacy completely, or do they just accept that you do checks and try keep their phone as clean as possible?

There's not a lot of agreement on just how much privacy kids should have but personally, I think that they should have complete privacy for safe activity and ZERO privacy for potentially harmful activity. Until recently, that just wasn't possible but it is now.

They can manipulate a phone to show you what you want to see. Just educate them of all the dangers and ask them to please respect the rules.

That is certainly true insulin and I think it's a great idea to "...ask them to please respect the rules" but medical research at institutions all over the world have proven that the part of the human brain responsible for good judgment (sound reasoning) does not mature until about the age of 20-21.

[adrianh]

If you have a phone that doesn't have an onboard GPS then the network only knows which are the 3 cell towers nearset to you. The network decides which tower is predominantly used by looking at your signal strenth on all three towers.

On board GPS phones are a different story. All the same applies as above but your GPS pinpoints your location to within 1m. I am certain that all phones will be fitted with GPS's in the future.

Real time GPS / GPRS tracking is used by many companies to track vehicles, goods & people. you don't need a powerful computer to do this at all. The simplest way, without using GPRS is to SMS the tracked device and ask it for its coordinates. THe device then sends the coordinates back to you. Many companies buy huge sms bundles for this exact purpose.

An interesting use of this technology is for vending machines. Many companies monitor the status of their vending machines via sms. An sms is sent twice a day updating stock holding and cash received. Many vendors fit on board GPS's as well and the coordinates are transmitted as well. The added cost is negligible. The coordinates are transmitted so that the vendor can determine if the machine has been moved or stolen. Unplugging the machine doesn't prevent the phone / modem / GPS from working as the mains is only used to charge the devoce's batteries.

[murdock]

if there is one thing i have learnt in life...not to trust anyone...i have suffered dearly for this...i dont even give "any" details over the phone or internet...when someone wants details ie bank etc...i go to the branch and sort it out...call me old fashion.

my kids do what they want when they want...the older ones have cellphones...and know one thing...if they need help i am just a call away...i must have tracker fitted in case they get in a position where they are drugged and cant talk.

you will never be able to stop kids from doing what they want...there are always ways to get around rules...and from my experiences the ones who are more restricted and are not street wise suffer the most...they get let loose and dont know the dangers of the street...hence they get lured into things they dont know about...i have seen with my own eyes how young girls drink too much and get gang banged by big groups of men...bike rallies...private parties etc...it a cruel sick world out there...we live in suburbia and are clueless to what happens when it gets dark...all the monsters come out to feed...make no mistake it also happens during the day.

all i can say is communicate with the kids and make sure you sit down for meals at a table together so you can pick up changes in behaviour.

i am on round 3 now...step children all grown up married with their own children with children...my own ones just finishing school and now a brand new one...i dont have the amswers...one the stepchildren is back in rehab for the 5 th time now for cocaine...heroin addication.

one just finished school is hooked on greens...caught him the other day...

i can only warn them of the dangers...they will do what they want regardless...and as i always tell them once it happens it is already toooo late.

ihave lost many friends and aquaintences to drug abuse and drinking...

its not the drinking that kills you...its the accident or fight you get into that does the harm...

drugs are a different story...i have lost most people to suicide from drugs

[tec0]

Technology is just one more thing for a bad person to abuse. In the world of now we can no longer control environments because work demands more hours and the law makers give criminals more rights than innocent people.

Yet we are to blame. We let the work demand more hours from our lives because we needed more money. The slave system is at work from this point forward and soon we will find ourselves hopelessly lost in it all.

Imagine for a moment that we as humans stated we will only work 8 hours a day and no more. We will not work on the seventh day of every week and that we will not tolerate drug dealers, or any other type of criminal. Imagine having the time to spend with your family...

This is the reality: the elite created a system where they can entrap the hard working individual, then created laws that is effectively controlled by them. Lastly the elite prey on the youth for their own sick fantasies. They made sure that we lost control.

Think this is just another conspiracy? Well stop putting in extra time at work, stop working Sundays and start demanding your rights. By the end of the month you will find that you can no longer afford the world that you are living in. You will see the sun is up but you will die of hunger because the system does not tolerate disobedience.

It’s time to wake up because we are in really deep trouble.

[adrianh]

This is the reality: the elite created a system where they can entrap the hard working individual, then created laws that is effectively controlled by them. Lastly the elite prey on the youth for their own sick fantasies. They made sure that we lost control.


Who are the elite?