I Still Believe in Kid Safe Cell Phones

A rational view of risk is not inconsistent with faith. I will leave the deep explanations to those in the know. The lesson that I got from my parents and teachers is that within reason you minimize risk.

Regular cell phones aren't for kids. Communication with strangers is a serious source of risk to children. For obvious reasons cell phones bring a lot more risk in this area than land-line phones.

At some point in growing up, a kid can be given some freedom of movement. Having the ability to phone home, would reduce any parents anxiety at this stage. To get that we need some kind of restricted cell phone appropriate for kids.

Is There Any Reason to Be Stingy with Phones?

We take phone communication for granted. It is abundant and cheap. That's the way it is for most of us. If you are a kid at the end of a school day, the story is different.

Most kids on most days, have transportation home. Some schools however have "no transportation" days. When kids ask the school office for permission to call home, they are often denied. No quarter? No luck.

Phone usage is extremely cheap nowadays. We can all take advantage of this to do chesed. Offering a person a phone in time of need is a great help to that person, at very little cost to you. Isn't that the ideal chesed?

Would you like to see a kid safe phone?

Would a kid-safe phone be someting you would like ot have for your child?

Any Kid Safe Cell Phones Already Available?

Someone pointed out http://www.fireflymobile.com/ . They are clearly kid-friendly, are they also kid-safe?

Lest's Create Kid Safe Cell Phones

Leiby's life could have been saved, had he been able to call his family for help as soon as he felt lost.  Giving a young kid an ordinary cell phone is a dangerous thing.  What is needed is a phone as follows:

• Can call only specific numbers set by parents
• Incoming calls restricted to certain phones( or via pin security system)
• Extremely long "standby" battery life
• GPS Locating
• Affordable

The technology is here today to make it happen. We need people with a determination to make it happen. We can't bring back Leiby; however we can help make other kids safe in his memory.

Please help make this a reality. I know it can be done, but frankly don't know where to start. Anyone with ideas please leave your comments.