Many children and young people have mobile phones. Youth mobile phone culture is now an important part of their everyday lives, with the phone being a key social communication tool. People increasingly use SMS/texting services to keep in touch with each other, and many phones now offer additional Instant Messenger, chat and web browsing services.
Mobile phone technology has changed dramatically over recent years. Alongside the basic telecommunication and text functions, many phones can now be used to produce still or video camera images, as well as provide access to the internet. Increasingly people are using this technology to check emails, receive online updates and information, view video material and surf or post internet content. These advances have also made it relatively simple for young people to capture or generate video/still imagery and other information using a mobile phone in order to share it with others on and off-line. Visual content from a mobile device can be instantly sent to another phone, it can be posted on a personal blog-space and/or it can be uploaded to searchable worldwide photo or video sharing databases (such as Flicker.com or youtube.com).
Below are some of the risks accociated with mobile phones. Select one of the risks below to read more.
Sharing Pictures
Mobile phones have recently been used to film bullying incidents, as well as the much publicised ‘happy slapping’ craze of filming attacks on others. Such behaviours can be encouraged by the ease with which this material can be sent to others or posted online for shared viewing. Similarly, the online sharing of other inappropriate user-generated content containing nudity, sexual activity or hazardous stunts, can pose a number of risks to the physical and psychological well-being of young people. Video footage/images and other personal information posted on blogs or shared databases can be accessed and used by individuals of ill-intent for sexual gratification, bullying and intimidation, stalking and grooming activities, or simply to embarrass someone. Remember that a great deal of online content can be viewed by almost anyone. Inappropriate content generated and sent by others can also be easily accessed and viewed using a mobile phone.
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What can I do?
Discuss with your children ways they can protect their phone from theft.
• Talk to your children about the dangers of giving out their phone number to strangers offline or online.
• Learn to text. Mobile phones are very useful for keeping in contact with your children and finding out where they are. Some children, especially teenagers, can be embarrassed answering phone calls from their parents when they are with their friends. Sending text messages will allow you to keep in contact with your children in a less obtrusive manner which they may find less embarrassing.
• If your children wish to download ringtones, videos or games from magazines or the internet, check the small print to find out the charges and whether it is a subscription service. You should also find out how to opt out of the subscription. This information has to be included by law in the advertisement.
• If your child’s mobile phone is primarily for keeping in contact with them in an emergency, most handsets allow an option of barring that handset from making other calls, check your manual for details. Alternatively restrict the amount of credit they can use each week.
• Explain to your child that the messages and pictures that they send to other people or to internet sites may reach a larger audience than they anticipated, and to consider the content carefully before sending it. You should also advise them never to provide or share personal information which might help someone to identify a person or location.
• Encourage your child to show you any messages, images or videos they receive from people they do not know or which make them feel uncomfortable, upset or scared.
• Some mobile phone networks provide a system which allows the user to send a free message to another phone when they are out of credit, such as the ‘How are you?’ message used by Vodafone customers. Make sure your child knows how to use this system so that they can contact you if they have no credit on their own phone.
• Some mobile phone companies allow phones from the same network to make cheaper or sometimes free calls to specific handsets, if you and your children/teenagers join the same network and utilise these offers, it can make it easier and cheaper to stay in constant contact.
• Show your child how to use all the functions on their mobile phone including the voice mail features so that they can collect messages if they miss your call. Using this function also means that they don’t have to answer calls from numbers they do not recognise.
• Explain to your children that if they feel uncomfortable talking to someone or don’t recognise the number calling, that they should not answer, and that it is ok to hang up on anyone (young people or adults) that they do not know.
Sources: Cyberspace Research Unit
