Comments on: Software lets parents monitor kids' calls

When someone not on a parent-approved list calls, parents receive a real-time text alert on their cell phone.

[sciontcya]

Wow!

Parents buying kids Blackberry Pearls?
My parents sucked.
J/K
That's why my parents didn't suck and anyone who buys their kid
one is a Pop-Tart?

[TV James]

heh heh

Were I a kid now, my parents probably wouldn't let me have a pager. (Remember pagers?) Now I'd have to justify the device and the monthly data package costs with my wife. And she'd want one, too.

Anyhow, I like the idea of these technologies, especially if your child is aware of them. Do the deal correctly and your child will see you as backing them up, not spying on them. I'll give my daughter technology early -- she's 3 and has been emailing family for years for her own email account. (Only lately is it actual words, but the family's been replying back to her random-keypress-emails for years.)

I think technology in the hands of kids is important, and I like the idea of intelligent technology for parents to help protect the child and provide course-correction before a simple misbehavior becomes a problem.

[qwerty75]

What a great idea for lazy parents

Another lame piece of tech to replace the parents duty to actually be parents.

[TV James]

are you kidding?

What are you advocating? Regularly taking the device from junior and looking at the call list and saved messages?

In the example given above, the parents were able to step in and quickly help the child with a situation entire not of their own doing but where they might not have otherwise come to mom and dad for assistance.

On the case of a child involved in something they shouldn't, they'd probably remove the evidence before the parent could get the phone back.

I think you're really misguided for suggesting these technologies are for parents who are neglecting their parental duties. I think it's exactly the opposite. Parents are harnessing new technologies to allow their children more freedom while at the same time providing them a safety net against the big bad world and/or a tether for making sure they don't stray into inappropriate behavior.

[calarmax]

RADAR - Mobile Watch Dog

An amazing pro-active use of technology to aid in the protection of children from on-line predators.

[sciontcya]

Another WOW!

An amazing follow-up AD from a "interested party"
Cripes.

[limefan913]

I'd kill my mom if I had this on my phone...

Of course I know how to hack Verizon's firmware on my Razr so it doesn't matter much. I play in bands and so there are a lot of random calls from random people and I'd be ineffective. Its a good step for those much much younger kids, but as a teenager, I'd be a bit annoyed. Sort of like AOL filters... good for small kids, not so good for teens. I can't believe that the 15 year old (same age as me) in the story didn't just leave the phone on the table... of course, with a blackberry I guess I would use it too ;)

[nikkie00209]

hey any chance you would help me figure out if my husbands cheating while hes out of town working? i would like to be able to log into his att wireless account online to see if i need a divorce im only 23 and to fine to waste my time. thankx
[e-mail]

[jdbwar07]

How about teaching responsibility?

This seems a little ridiculous. Why don't these parents just teach their kids to have some personal responsibility? In past decades I believe teenagers (and younger kids) often had much more independence, and they turned out alright, without GPS trackers and their parents monitoring their phone calls.

If your kid is that dumb that if some wacko calls and he does whatever they say, or can't help racking up enormous bills sending dumb messages to friends, obviously he/she shouldn't have their own phone in the first place. This article doesn't make it clear if the parents had already talked about this program with their son, but if my parents had tried something like this behind my back I would be extremely angry and would probably choose not to use it.

The sad thing about the commercial exploitation of parents' legitimate concerns about their kids' safety is that it's grooming us to be a nation of sheeple (not that we aren't already there, in all likelihood). This is what happens when a generation grows up comfortable with tracking and electronic surveillance. The teenager in the article for example seemed happy and relieved to be "protected" like this. Being electronically monitored like this is touted as a good thing. In 10 years he and others like him probably will have no problem when the government, police, and employers become more and more intrusive. If the government mandates that the police have a right to know where everyone is at any time, it will be fine, since it's all for our protection...

[Jortibereal]

Common sense?

Am I the only one who thinks that instead of spying on their children, parents should just not let their children have cell phones if they're too immature to use them appropriately? It seems like common sense to me. Trust your kid, get him a phone, don't trust him, don't get him one. It's that simple. A piece of software is never going to replace capable parenting, no matter how much some people might wish it.

[xPHONICSx]

most of you sound like liberal tards. without progs like this one, you cant stop some boy from school sending pics of his dick to your daughter. Highschool kids are increasingly showing off their bodies.