This past summer, I partnered with AT&T and hosted three local events to facilitate a discussion with parents on online and mobile safety. Through AT&T’s Mobile Safety program, I was able to get together with local parents in our community and gain insight into what concerns them about Internet and mobile safety with their children. I also relayed information provided by AT&T including tips for discussing online safety with your children, navigating mobile apps with even the youngest children, and of course, mobile phones for children.
What I like the most about AT&T’s method is that it is less about restricting online and mobile use for children and more about empowering them with proper information. If you know my husband and I, you know that we don’t shy away from technology in our household and actually embrace it. With proper limits on use and showing them appropriate techniques, we feel technology is not something to fear with our children. Because of that, I appreciated the overall message from AT&T to engage children in conversations about online and mobile safety instead of simply setting restrictions.
The attendees at each of the three Safety School events I hosted had children of varying ages. Many, though, were parents of children eight and under, just like me, so it was easy to relate to their concerns. After speaking with parents at the events, here are five of their top concerns regarding mobile and online safety:
- How can I be sure my child is protected from online and mobile app advertising?
- What are some of the best apps for toddlers and preschoolers?
- How do you find appropriate apps for young children?
- I don’t necessarily want my child to have a phone at such a young age, but for safety reasons, I feel like sending him/her to school with a phone is a good idea so he/she can get in touch with me after school.
- What IS a good age for my child to get his/her first phone?
Do you share some of these concerns? How have you dealt with them?
I’ll be sharing two additional posts with you in the coming days with more information from the AT&T Mobile Safety School events I hosted. Look for them soon!
Disclosure: This post is part of a compensated campaign for the AT&T Mobile Safety program.
Photo source: henriksent/Flickr
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