“I was afraid of what is out in the world and knowing what they can do with the cell phone and who can get to them with the cell phone,” said Idriss Bennis, creator of ChildProtect Online.
Bennis hopes his creation will help parents all over the world keep their children safe when they are left unattended with their cell phones.
For less than ten dollars a month, Bennis’ software allows parents to track their children’s emails, texts and movements using their child’s cell phone.
“In my mind it puts you closer to your kids because you are more involved, they know you are paying attention to them,” said Bennis.
When children know they are being monitored, they feel safer, and are less likely to engage in cyber bullying….
Parents have had to adapt to the new offline cyber environment and keep their kids safe, and parental monitoring applications are an efficient way to be there for them in cyberspace and help protect them from cyber bullying, text harassment, and sexting. Cyber predators often use texting as a way to lure young teens.
And many parents like the GPS locator function as well… “I want to make sure they are where I said they were going to be,” said Tadji Rodriguez. With two children, Rodriguez is one of dozens of parents who have already signed up for the plan. With ChildProtectOnline not only can she see the numbers calling her children and approve them, but she can see through all text messages and see a history of where her child was throughout the day.
“It gives me that sense of security, relief, I know where my kids are, I know what they are doing,” said Rodriguez.
Some critics say it is like spying on your kids but in the modern day it is the evolution of good parenting. “It’s not about privacy, it’s protection and good parenting.” You would not want your child interacting in the offline world with a negative influence, and until they learn the judgment and have the maturity and social skills to keep themselves out of trouble parents are using parental control services like childprotectonline to level the playing field. There are many horror stories out there about child predators and cyber bullying. It has gotten to the point where many states have now passed laws against cyberbullying and other threatening online activities….
ChildProtect Online is compatible with many smart phones running the Google Android operating system and this fall Bennis will make it available for the iphone as well. He’s also working on a way to offer parental limits on the kinds of applications children will be able to download to their phone.
