Parents are always nervous about their kids being distracted while driving. Carrying those trusty mobile devices are a key to constant communication with your child as well as your child with their friends. So how do you balance both? An enhancement coming from many of the cellular carriers will make an attempt to offer some peace of mind that kids will not be texting while driving.
The Family Locator service many of the carriers offer allows the parent to know where the phone is (and hopefully with the child) via a web interface or mobile application. This gives some mental ease to parents being able to get a visual clue of the child’s location. New enhancements will allow the parent to block the ability to text while the phone is in motion. The plus side is it will remove the ability while they drive, but also restrict it while they ride with you.
Some other abilities coming include:
- being able to see/approve photos before they leave the phone
- see contents of text messages
- stop certain web searches
- block the downloading of applications or some applications
There is a fine balance between the trust factor and the exposure technology brings through these devices. With the carriers offering more granular controls, parents can offer a better experience while receiving a level of comfort. But, this will not come without an additional monthly cost.
Sam