Comments on: Sexual Predator Zones http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2006/05/02/sexual-predator-zones/ Russell Buckley and Carlo Longino on mobile technology. Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:56:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Laurel Papworth http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2006/05/02/sexual-predator-zones/comment-page-1/#comment-4606 Laurel Papworth Fri, 05 May 2006 04:13:48 +0000 http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2006/05/02/sexual-predator-zones/#comment-4606 Hmmm a couple of thoughts. First, most mobile phones in this category are for young children. Most teens won't wear what their parents want them to wear, eat what they are supposed to eat and they certainly won't carry around a tracking phone cos whatever their parent's think is cool, ain't. The phones are for young children. Age 5 and up. And while the marketing campaigns target 'the fear factor', the reality is, its a great device for families that no longer are able to allow their kids to walk home from school for whatever reason. Perhaps the parents are seperated, and the school is in a distant zone from one of them? Perhaps both parents work and the designated driver is not in a position to always pick the kid up on time? The four buttons phones such as the iKids in Australia, allow the children to receive calls (I'm running late, wait in the library) or make calls (Johnny wants to show me his new guinea pig, can I go home with him?). The other stuff is a nice to have. I'm betting that the only parents who buy due to 'the fear factor' are not so fearful of stranger danger but of ex-partners. Unfortunately its a growing concern - snatchings seem to happen by family members more than by pederasts. It's not so much that an ex partner WILL snatch the kid, its the fear that it MIGHT happen. And that fear can be all-consuming. Peace of mind is not something that only nervous nellies seek, but anyone who has been through an acrimonious divorce. Thats the commercial reality behind these services. And while Matt's parents need an slap upside the head (there's other ways of handling kids who go walkabout) the statement "All these child tracking ideas really do is heighten our state of fear as we try to live our lives - they don‚Äôt really solve anything. Life is inherently a risky business, but to focus on all the dangers is surely to miss the point. Life is for living, not cowering in fear. And therefore sometimes I think it is better not to know." is disingenuous. Kids like mobile phones, kids want mobile phones, these type of phones offer peace of mind and communication in a world that no longer operates as a village but with a siege mentality. Unless you still sleep with your windows open and your doors unlocked and leave your bike unchained in the front yard, you have to recognise that in some parts of the world, these phones provide additional security. The world has changed... Hmmm a couple of thoughts. First, most mobile phones in this category are for young children. Most teens won’t wear what their parents want them to wear, eat what they are supposed to eat and they certainly won’t carry around a tracking phone cos whatever their parent’s think is cool, ain’t. The phones are for young children. Age 5 and up.

And while the marketing campaigns target ‘the fear factor’, the reality is, its a great device for families that no longer are able to allow their kids to walk home from school for whatever reason. Perhaps the parents are seperated, and the school is in a distant zone from one of them? Perhaps both parents work and the designated driver is not in a position to always pick the kid up on time? The four buttons phones such as the iKids in Australia, allow the children to receive calls (I’m running late, wait in the library) or make calls (Johnny wants to show me his new guinea pig, can I go home with him?). The other stuff is a nice to have.

I’m betting that the only parents who buy due to ‘the fear factor’ are not so fearful of stranger danger but of ex-partners. Unfortunately its a growing concern – snatchings seem to happen by family members more than by pederasts. It’s not so much that an ex partner WILL snatch the kid, its the fear that it MIGHT happen. And that fear can be all-consuming. Peace of mind is not something that only nervous nellies seek, but anyone who has been through an acrimonious divorce. Thats the commercial reality behind these services.

And while Matt’s parents need an slap upside the head (there’s other ways of handling kids who go walkabout) the statement “All these child tracking ideas really do is heighten our state of fear as we try to live our lives – they don‚Äôt really solve anything. Life is inherently a risky business, but to focus on all the dangers is surely to miss the point. Life is for living, not cowering in fear. And therefore sometimes I think it is better not to know.” is disingenuous. Kids like mobile phones, kids want mobile phones, these type of phones offer peace of mind and communication in a world that no longer operates as a village but with a siege mentality. Unless you still sleep with your windows open and your doors unlocked and leave your bike unchained in the front yard, you have to recognise that in some parts of the world, these phones provide additional security. The world has changed…

]]> By: C. Enrique Ortiz http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2006/05/02/sexual-predator-zones/comment-page-1/#comment-4538 C. Enrique Ortiz Tue, 02 May 2006 16:00:09 +0000 http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2006/05/02/sexual-predator-zones/#comment-4538 "So apart from humiliating Matt...." - hehe, this is so true. Matt is going to be so paranoid from now on... After parents begin dropping the tracking service because "kids won't carry their cellphones or stash them away in a safe place", to work around that "issue", CATTRAX will move onto their next tracking solution offering - concealed tracking devices for kids! Thanks CATTRAX (and everyone else)! :-) ceo “So apart from humiliating Matt….” – hehe, this is so true. Matt is going to be so paranoid from now on…

After parents begin dropping the tracking service because “kids won’t carry their cellphones or stash them away in a safe place”, to work around that “issue”, CATTRAX will move onto their next tracking solution offering – concealed tracking devices for kids! Thanks CATTRAX (and everyone else)! :-)

ceo

]]> By: Tim Hibbard http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2006/05/02/sexual-predator-zones/comment-page-1/#comment-4535 Tim Hibbard Tue, 02 May 2006 14:44:08 +0000 http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2006/05/02/sexual-predator-zones/#comment-4535 Well said. Our company (EnGraph) provides GPS software and the first thing people say is "I would like to have that for my kid". Kids are smart and they are not going to take a phone that says where they are to somewhere they are not supposed to be. Let a kid be a kid. He's going to drink, he's going to smoke and if he doesn't do it in high school then he's going to be a binge drinker in college. Well said. Our company (EnGraph) provides GPS software and the first thing people say is “I would like to have that for my kid”. Kids are smart and they are not going to take a phone that says where they are to somewhere they are not supposed to be. Let a kid be a kid. He’s going to drink, he’s going to smoke and if he doesn’t do it in high school then he’s going to be a binge drinker in college.

]]> By: Tomi T Ahonen http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2006/05/02/sexual-predator-zones/comment-page-1/#comment-4529 Tomi T Ahonen Tue, 02 May 2006 09:51:55 +0000 http://mobhappy.com/blog1/2006/05/02/sexual-predator-zones/#comment-4529 Great posting Russell ! Absolutely great. I totally agree with it. I especially like the last part which is exactly what every kid will do. What those parents managed to do, in fact, was to teach all of the classmates of their son about switching phones when going partying. Not only their own son, but of course he tells his friends in school never to make that mistake again, meaning that all kids will avoid the nuisance of the parents snooping on them, and all the parents will remain in a false sense of security. Keep up the great work at MobHappy ! Tomi Ahonen :-) Great posting Russell !

Absolutely great. I totally agree with it. I especially like the last part which is exactly what every kid will do. What those parents managed to do, in fact, was to teach all of the classmates of their son about switching phones when going partying. Not only their own son, but of course he tells his friends in school never to make that mistake again, meaning that all kids will avoid the nuisance of the parents snooping on them, and all the parents will remain in a false sense of security.

Keep up the great work at MobHappy !

Tomi Ahonen :-)

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