CTIA - The Wireless Association has launched a campaign in the US to help parents locate and utilise tools and information necessary to ensure their children are responsible wireless users.

Together with children, expert educators, parents, their members and The Wireless Foundation, CTIA has developed a website - besmartwireless.com - to help you locate and utilise the tools and information necessary to ensure your children are responsible wireless users.

CTIA’s “Be Smart, Be Fair, Be Safe: Wireless Responsible Use” campaign was launched in March 2010 to equip parents and teachers with tips and tools to help talk with children about responsible mobile device usage.

The website is designed to help parents and their children to work together so that children behave in a smart, safe, fair and responsible manner using digital media.

Three categories
According to CTIA, there are three categories of irresponsible or inappropriate wireless behaviour:

• Objectionable Content. Today’s children can’t be completely shielded from “objectionable” content. However, wireless carriers offer a number of tools to help parents control what their children can see, hear and create on a wireless device.

Related article on kidsandmedia.co.uk:

Internet: Tips for parents on safe net use

Mobile: Advice on children and mobile phones

• Unwanted Contact. In today’s digital information world, it’s nearly impossible to not receive an unwanted message. CTIA strongly encourages you to talk to your children and tell them what to do if they receive an unwanted or unknown e-mail or phone call.  

Related article on kidsandmedia.co.uk: 

Teach children a healthy critical sense

• Inappropriate Conduct. As with any new technology, some individuals make poor decisions.  It is important you talk to your children about what is appropriate and inappropriate behaviour.

CTIA suggests three simple rules to use when talking to children about inappropriate conduct:

1.  If you wouldn’t say it in person, don’t say it online!  This includes aggressive or threatening text messages.

2.  Don’t send or take inappropriate text messages, photos or videos.  It is impossible to control who sees a picture or message once you transmit it, and it could be forwarded to anyone, even months or years in the future.

3.  Never give your personal information (including phone number, home address, e-mail address or credit card number).  

Related article on kidsandmedia.co.uk:

10 rules for Internet use

CTIA's Parental Checklist
Here are a few tips to help talk to your children about mobile phone usage:

• When you sign up for wireless service, know what’s in the service plan such as voice, text messaging, e-mail and Internet access.
• When you give your child a mobile device, know its features, such as the ability to take and send pictures or videos or download music or apps.
• Ask your wireless providers about their parental control tools including filters, usage limits and other restrictions.
• Know the rules and rights your children have online and how to report websites that you suspect violate this law. 
• Talk with your children and discuss your family’s rules on using mobile devices.  This may include certain times and ways of use and consequences if these rules are broken.
• Write down these rules and penalties and post them in a central location in your home.
• Periodically, revisit these rules as your children grow older and wireless technology evolves.
  

About CTIA
CTIA-The Wireless Association® (www.ctia.org) is an international nonprofit membership organisation that has represented the wireless communications industry since 1984. Membership in the association includes wireless carriers and their suppliers, as well as providers and manufacturers of wireless data services and products.

Visit besmartwireless.com.