Mobile phones have become a part of the way we live, and families are faced with making decisions about how their children interact with them.
• AT&T commissioned a national study with GfK to examine the wireless usage and safety issues families are facing. The questions were designed to examine parents’ concerns and children’s behaviors, and to better understand where gaps in safety awareness exist today.
• The study showed an opportunity for parents and kids to have more discussions about mobile phones and how they’re used.
• For example, the study found that:
o More than one in five kids have been bullied by text message;
o Almost half have a friend who’s received content on their phone their parents would consider too sexual; and
o More than half have ridden in a car with someone who was texting while driving.
We created the AT&T Mobile Safety program to help provide families with educational resources to help start the mobile safety conversation.
• Whether it’s tips for parents about having the mobile safety talk with their kids, or products that can help manage how the phone is used, the AT&T Mobile Safety website is a one-stop shop.
• We’ve partnered with Common Sense Media to curate the most helpful and relevant content when it comes to mobile safety, whether parents are looking for guidance on when to get their kids their first phones or how to teach kids mobile phone responsibility.
• The site also includes information on free to low-cost AT&T tools that can help curb the urge to text while driving, block what content may be accessed, limit times of day phones can be used and offer options for blocking texts and calls from bullies.
• The Mobile Safety program is part of AT&T’s commitment to helping families use mobile devices and mobile services safely. AT&T Mobile Safety is here to help families find balance between the freedom children crave and the safety controls parents need.
Full survey results, information about AT&T’s menu of parental controls and a library of resources on mobile safety topics can be found on The Mobile Safety website<http://www.att.com/
