Many Teens Going Online Wirelessly Without Limits or Controls

Cox Communication published a survey on behavior of young people online. This survey was conducted in partnership with National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and America's Most Wanted (AMW) host and children's advocate John Walsh.

This is the first year this survey tried to understand teen behavior using cell phones. Highlighting the fact that majority of the teen now have a cell phone (over 70%).

Some of the key results include:

1. 91% of teens surveyed have email address
2. 73% have a cell phone while 59% have a digital camera (today majority of cell phone, over 70%, have a built in camera, higher percentage in North America and Western Europe)
3. 72% have profiles on social networking sites and 60% have an instant messenger screen name
4. More than one third (1/3) of teens surveyed have been cyberbullied, perpetrated cyberbullying or know of friend who have experience or perpetrated it.
5. 19% (20% from survey of 1280 teens) have engaged in sexting --sending, receiving, or forwarding. 81% of teen sexters are under 18.
6. 19% of teens surveyed go online via their cell phone (26-30% teens according to mmetrics and other)

For additional details on the survey click here.

Some interesting quotes from John Walsh.

"Teens are not only online, they are active in every nuance of cyberspace. Many have no controls over what they do online and of those who do, nearly 30 percent figure ways around the boundaries set by their parents," said John Walsh. "Those parents who have been vigilant over their kids' use of the Internet via their computers, haven't extended their watch to their kids' use of the wireless devices, which are increasingly offering predators all the access they need to our precious and vulnerable young ones. Teens are prone to choosing risky behaviors even though they know better, so parents must continue to regularly talk with their children and monitor their activities."

Need for Parental Controls

Today it is established that Parents need better visibility on what their kids are doing online. When you ask the parents why, they are very clear about the need and concern. The safety and security of their children. With 90,000 registered sex offernders lurking on MySpace, and unknow on other online social networks, Instant Messaging SPAM (SPIM), SMS spam and bullying.
Today a most of security companies are providing parental controls for PC and Mac, Microsoft and Apple new have some limited parental controls included as part of the Operating Systems (OS). Wireless Carriers are providing time and use limits for parental controls for mobile phones.

All of these services are addressing parent's fears and concerns about this kids being on-line all the time and unsolicited contact and access of their personal information by strangers.

However, what is missing today is parental controls for cell phones, the new PC.

It is even more critical for parents to be able to connect with their kids and know what they are doing on the cell phones. Because cell phone provide unrestricted access to Internet for kids.

Sexting has become a pandemic and needs to be addressed quickly. Having parental controls on cell phones and PC discourages children from engaging in such behavior because they know that their parents will find out.

I launched the beta (free) of my company, MobiZim to help parents and provide them with the peace of mind. MobiZim delivers parental controls on cell phones. Parents can now monitor their kids phone usage from an online family portal from anywhere.