Wireless Online S-A-F-E-T-Y Tips
For Keeping Kids Safe in a Mobile Environment

Smart – The wireless industry develops and provides numerous technology tools and information to assist parents with keeping their children safe in a mobile environment. While parents want to protect their kids by being with them 24/7, this isn’t usually possible. That’s why education is an integral part of the solution, to help keep kids smart about their wireless behavior.

Aware – Unlike TV, movies or music, wireless is an interactive service that opens the door to the world. That means that all of us—whether a parent, kid, educator or policymaker—need to understand and become more aware of wireless technologies and how to use these products and services responsibly.

Familiar – There are a variety of parental control and privacy options that wireless carriers offer. To more effectively use these tools, parents should become familiar with:

• A wireless carrier’s plans, policies and service offerings for voice, data and texts. 6-1-1 can be dialed from any wireless device to reach customer service.
• A wireless carrier’s parental control tools that limit contacts, downloads, phone functions and service capabilities such as restricted calling and texting.
• A cell phone’s features and functions for the Internet, camera/video and downloadable ringtones, games and applications.
• The privacy settings in social networks, location-based services and other emerging applications.

Experience – Today’s kids and teenagers think one of the coolest things is getting a new cell phone. They love to communicate with their friends via text or through one of the many available applications or social networks. As parents and policymakers, it is important to experience wireless devices in the same manner. By embracing these new experiences, parents will be better informed to set their family guidelines and rules.

Talk – Keeping an open dialogue is important and it encourages kids to talk to their parents about how they are using their cell phones. Wireless etiquette should be defined by parents and kids. Proper wireless behavior begins with the five W’s of wireless—who, what, when, where and why:

• Who should they contact?
• What should they be doing on their cell phone?
• When can they use their cell phone?
• Where can they use their cell phone?
• Why is all of this important?

Yearly Review – As technologies evolve and children grow, it is important to keep family guidelines and rules updated annually.