Safer Mobile for Children
More often than not, children are more advanced users of internet and mobile technologies than their parents (with a few bright exceptions). Currently, thanks to their mobiles, our offsprings can wap, chat, surf the net, send photos and videos – just like their parents could assemble paper plane models thirty years ago.
Did you know that:
- Primary schools are attended by around 900,000 pupils (Source: Institute for Information on Education)?
- Vast majority of these kids owns a mobile - 45 % of pupils up to 10 years of age, 40 % of children above 10 years of age (source: Czech Statistical Office)?
- Most mobiles features functions allowing photographing, sending of videos, surfing the net and/or PC connection (source: Vodafone) ?
If these facts made you reflect on the above, we believe it’s a good thing. We can no longer close our eyes to the need of protecting the children from dangers they might encounter at the internet.
We don’t want to burden you with encyclopaedic essays. On the contrary, we offer concrete technical solutions, we support interesting projects and, on top, we have a few practical tips for you of how to get closer to your kids.
We simply have clear answers to the question of “How to make the mobile safer for children?”:
- We offer you the free possibility (depending on your own judgement) of Child Profile. When activating this profile, the access is banned to categories such as Erotic and Porn sites, Gambling and Lottery, Weapons and Drugs and alcohol. This service blocks access to Adult content within:
- Furthermore, you have the option to set, free of any charges, the cost control tools such as FlexiLimit (the customer receives an SMS message informing him that he/she has exceeded the amount he/she has chosen), or FlexiCeiling (as soon as you reach the restricted amount you have yourself selected, the SIM card is automatically blocked and it only operates when receiving calls and SMS messages).
- We are a partner in a MobilStory contest for children of school age, which is organised by SaferInternet.cz. The competition aims at motivating children to shoot a short video, clip or photo series with their mobile, dealing with the issue of the difference between the real and virtual world, thus prompting them to start thinking about the subject.
- We also support a project of the Palacký University in Olomouc named The prevention of dangerous communication practices, related to electronic communication and aimed at informing and educating the adults on the issues of dangerous phenomena.
- We have compiled a list of practical tips (PDF), which might help you in communicating on the issue with your child.
We are serious about the child protection and we offer a completely safe internet. Beside the Child profile, we also prevent access to illegal internet sites.
Don’t be afraid of using mobile phones; their benefits undoubtedly outweigh the possible risks, which can be further reduced to minimum when sticking to the above advice.
Other interesting links:
Saferinternet.cz Project - Czech info-nodal point of the safer internet
project e-bezpeci.cz - prevention of dangerous communication practices
INTERNET HOTLINE – internet hot line which enables reporting of illegal content
INTERNET HELPLINE - Czech edifying and assistance centre of the safer internet