Internet Safety and Text Messages: Protecting Kids with Cell Phones

Text Messages: Protecting Kids with Cell Phones

Colorado mother Sharon Hamilton caught her 15-year-old anxiously deleting text messages on his cell phone. She took the phone and saw a text message from an out-of-state number that she did not recognize. It read: “Good night Babe.” Her son eventually admitted that the sender was a 30-year-old female friend he met while playing the online multiplayer videogame “World of Warcraft.” After further investigation, Hamilton discovered that the female friend was actually an adult male. The news was a shock.

Pew Internet Research Center reports that 72% of cell phone owners between 12 and 17-years-old are texters, while only 18% of cell phone owners between 40-49-years-old text. This is a huge disparity and creates a serious problem because adults simply do not know the world of texting in which their children are so engaged.

One thing parents can do is to set up mobile phone restrictions for their children. However, Hamilton had already done that; her son turned in his phone every night at 10pm. Perhaps, even more important, is for parents to start an open dialogue with their kids about cell phone usage, potential dangers, and what to do if any problems arise. Creating an honest, trustworthy atmosphere can go a long way. This is one of the Internet safety rules that parents can keep in their arsenal of Internet safety tips.

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