by C L Smith

Created on: October 13, 2010   Last Updated: January 18, 2012

The production and distribution of a community outreach kit created to assist parents in their efforts to keep their children safe both online and on cell phones has been announced by the Federal Trade Commission.  Currently, five million copies of the ‘Net Cetera: Chatting with Kids About Being Online’ campaign materials have already been distributed to parents and schools with additional distribution planned in the future.  The campaign was developed by the folks at OnGuardonline.gov, a web site that provides tips to help an individual be ‘on guard’ against Internet fraud, protect personal data and defend their computers.

The new ‘NetCetera’ campaign addresses a number of areas that promote online safety for children one of which is the appropriate use of cell phones by children. According to the FTC, families can take several steps to ensure the child benefits from the use of a cell phone rather than falling victim to the risks that accompany the use of the many cell phone applications such as social networking, blog posting, content uploading, media sharing and video editing. The following address some of the concerns  identified by ‘Netcetera’and some of the solutions to same:

Cell Phone Safety for Children 

Children benefit from the use of a cell phone as a socializing and communication tool in the same ways as adults benefit from its usage.  However, children are susceptible to the power of persuasion and are vulnerable to various schemes due to a lack of knowledge of how to protect their own interests. After all, it takes time to develop informed judgment related to events to which we have not been previously subjected. This naivety makes it essential that parents discuss with their children the particular types of safety and reputation issues that are associated with the use of a cell phone , the defenses against such risks and the need to seek help as soon as possible if they believe that the use of the cell phone has put their safety or reputation at risk.

Should the Child Have a Cell Phone? 

According to OnGuardonline.gov, only children that can be trusted to adhere to the rules of a parent, guardian or school should have access to a cell phone.  While the child’s age is one indicator of the likelihood that they will appropriately use a cell phone, other factors such as the child’s personality and level of maturity should  also be used to determine

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