Disney's Latest MVNO Perfect For Paranoid Parents
from the Mickey-Mouse-is-working-for-your-parents dept
Last summer, when Disney announced plans for a Disney-branded mobile phone service (MVNO), we wondered if there would be some backlash for targeting children at a young age -- when there's some controversy over how young is too young for a mobile phone. What we didn't realize is that Disney's MVNO wouldn't be targeted at children, but at parents. In fact, it almost sounds like the type of mobile phone that many kids will hate, rather than enjoy. The service allows parents to act as a manager for their kids mobile phone usage -- setting specific time limits for usage, for example. It also includes child tracking features that are likely to get most of the attention. While there will be plenty of talk about how these offerings are designed to protect children, we've pointed out plenty of downsides as well. Often they just give parents a false sense of security, while giving the parents an excuse not to teach their kids how to deal with complex situations. With the tracking, in particular, many kids are smart enough to figure out ways around the system. On top of that, they're taught that their parents don't trust them, which is a great foundation for a relationship. Yes, there are some safety aspects to such systems, but too many parents will look at such tools as an alternative to actually teaching their kids how to stay safe or how to manage their time on the phone more effectively. It may be a huge success, but it's not clear that it really makes anyone any safer in the long run.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Re: disney phone
C.
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i think thats great
-"spread your wings, but try not to soar into my coffee table again"
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People like this kind of thing?
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Personally, a good phone for teens may be a gps phone that tracks location and velocity (with a hookup to the car to reduce speed when needed) and video, and then somehow hook up a shock collar or RFID chip inserted that can deliver an electric shock (nothing lethal, just a disabling blow) would go over well, and one for teen girls that can deliver a more serious shock to teen boys in to close proximity, in a few years, I would buy that package.
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Re: Trust
We should concentrate more on our roles as teachers, providers and protectors of our children, and way less on our roles as policemen of them. You are a perfect example of what is wrong not only with the state of parenting today, but with the overall state of society as well. You're an idiot.
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Re: Re: Trust
My parents used to roll by whatever place I was supposed to be at...a good parent will 'check-up' on their kids, not because of lack of trust, but because they're KIDS. Even if u do an absolutely perfect job raising them, they're gonna do things they're not supposed to do. Taking the time to check up (spy) on your kids is part of your job if you really want to keep them safe and teach them right from wrong.
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Re: Re: Trust
... Buddypic.com
... MySpace.com
Need I say more?
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Re: Re: Trust
This all sounds good in writing but what sort of real person are you Mr VanTreese?
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Re:
I do not see it as a way for good parents to stop parenting. And bad parents will always be bad parents until they change, with or without this phone.
Gary
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...a phone doesn't make a child or an adult 'safe'. A phone gives you more options in the case of an emergency, but it doesn't stop bad things from happening...any parent hopefully has the sense to know that.
...if you give your 10 year old a phone he can talk on for 10 hours a month (then its useless until next month) - he's getting an excellent lesson in managing his personal time on the phone.
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Re:
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Re: Re:10 hours for a 10 year old
My amily of 5, running a home based business, uses 1500 minutes a month with unlimited nights and weekends (and my kids don't use a phone yet)
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Perhaps...
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Teaching right from wrong
And calling a name that fits is entirely appropriate.
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Re: Teaching right from wrong
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Re: Teaching right from wrong
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Re: Teaching right from wrong
I have met parents with a similar attitude to yours. Part of my job is informing parents that little Susie is pregnant, or that Johnny has a STD. Almost always I get the same response, "that is not possible, Johnny is a good boy and would never do that" followed by "I raised my child RIGHT, I know I can trust him. You must be wrong"
Get a clue, as parents we all try and teach our children right from wrong, But as children they are going to make mistakes. It is part of growing and learning. Our job is being there to help them learn from the mistakes they make.
For the record, checking up on your child is not spying. It is checking up. If my child says she is going to a friend’s house, I trust her to do so. I do on occasion call the parent of the child and make sure she is there and is acting appropriately. I do not call every time she goes. As she got older we went from walking her to the friends house, to watching her walk there, to being called when she arrived, to the current occasional check up call.
Finally if you find name calling OK, I would say only an IDIOT would trust a 12 yr old to make the right decision every time.
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Re: Teaching right from wrong
Didn't you let your kids watch porn when they were able to see you? Letting your kids swear is not what I would call right either.
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parenting
Cell Phones for kids are pretty stupid in my opinion. Yes, I have one. I use it to make long distance calls to a short list of people, about 150 min/month. Something about the way a lot of teenagers are on it hours/day seems unhealthy to me. Let them learn to be alone and amuse themselves some of the time. It's a very overlooked skill. :)
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Re: parenting -- get real
Yeah, right, we all were.
I would never have become a "bad kid" later.
Or maybe you would have become a "worse" kid. I'm sure it's all your parents' fault, though. Clearly, you were not responsible for you own behavior.
Cell Phones for kids are pretty stupid in my opinion.
What!? You wouldn't trust your kid with a cell phone? Oh, the cycle of abuse continues!!!!
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Contrary to what some people that haunt TD seem to think, it is not possible for a parent to personally monitor every moment of radio, TV and Internet activity for each child. If we are all being honest, you will admit that your parents did not do this with you. Today, the dangers are much worse. And so, parents who *do* parent their kids welcome tools to help in that task.
Again, parents may choose which tools, if any, are appropriate for their child at what level of maturity and understanding they are at.
TD constantly chants "let the market forces decide". If tools such as those described here are unwanted, people will not buy them and they will go away. For you to tell any parent that they should not use such tools is presumptuous.
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Parents arguing over what is wrong and what is right.
This discussion is no better than parents arguing over what is foul and what is not... at a soccer game.
Common mommies - learn to respect each other and try not to be so controlling. What's wrong with letting other people do as they please. Sure, you may think that something might not be right for YOUR children - but please realise that other people's children *CAN ALSO BE* brought up with other people's standards of what is right and what is wrong.
Please, just you do your thing and let other people do their thing.
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Bitching? never!!
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It's a capitalistic world and ..
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Already out on the market
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Re: Already out on the market
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Re: Re: Already out on the market
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Lighten up, it may just be a "Guardian Angel"
I'm ordering one NOW!
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Course, that begs the question that kids should carry mobile phones in the first place, but thats a different story.
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Re:
Just because Disney is behind this, doen't mean that all the phones will look like Mickey Mouse or Goofy (though they may offer those as well). Maybe they will look just like every other phone with an unobtrusive logo?
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Re:
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Realize the gravity of the situation!
Most of you should really be ashamed!
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Re: Realize the gravity of the situation!
Meaning the first thing any reasonable kidnapper or child who wants to runaway will do is ditch this phone. How does that make anyone any safer?
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Re: Re: Realize the gravity of the situation!
A kidnapper or child can only run away from the device so fast, and road blocks or a parimeter can be set up around that last location.
Is it your first thought to think what a "reasonable kidnapper" would do???
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Do you mean the ones with or the the ones without children?
It's hard to loose something that you do not have.
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MISSING SO MUCH
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Re: MISSING SO MUCH
Sad.
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the disney phone
There's a pic of the phone, rather nice looking, not too kiddie-ish, not a big Disney logo
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Re: the disney phone
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Guardian Angel Phones
http://www.guardianangeltech.com/pricing.htm
My youngest, 6, has the childs device, which from what I can tell has a casing around it so the only button used is an emergency button. My oldest, 14, has the metallic blue phone that he loves! He always lets me know when I need to pick him up early, or when he's going to be late.
It's really put some of my nights at ease not worrying so much.
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phones for youngsters
it seems poeple like to see things in black and white --good/bad kids --- good/bad parents. Give me break. what a parent is all good or bad? over a phone? is this not TEChdirt? menaing you all are interested in gadgets? but it's all back to earth when it comes to kids?
this phone is there to compete with firefly and the like which are geared to to the 6-10 age group.
as a single parent with no family backup in the region, i can totally see the use of this. my kid is 6 , she is not supposed to get on the bus one day (a one off) she forgets and is ushered onto the bus. She gets let OFF the bus even though there is no one to receive her. I get to school and NO KID. I call neighbors - NO KID. about now, while running around calling bus companies, drivers, neigbors, etc it would be nice to call HER.
turns out she was hiding because she couldn't open the door because locks don't always cooperate with 6 year olds. there are no public phones and no where to go. a little gadget solves these kinds of issues: you have my blessing.
Adults should have convenience and safety and kids shouldn't? it seems you all have a set picture in your head of what the scenario will be - as if everthing always goes to plan.
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People without kids: refrain from the parenting ti
> as an alternative to actually teaching their kids
Whoa. This statement sounds like "advice" from childless "expert" on parenting. No thank you.
For over 3 years, I have wanted to buy a cell phone for my kid (now age 9). I need to talk to her, or she me. Plans change, etc.
Initially, the roadblock with getting her a phone was the absurdity factor (a six year old with a phone?!)
Then, the roadblock was upfront cost.
Lately it's the replacement cost (how many retainers are thrown away every day?)
I'll get my kid a phone, probably by the time she's ten. I would never get her one of those phones that only dials 4 pre-programmed numbers (she made it clear she wouldn't want one of those anyway) but I would consider a phone with GPS or other features. You know, trust but verify.
However, if I think it's potentially too expensive to have to replace my kid's 'free' phone at "retail" price, I expect that it would be more expensive to replace one of these.
~dotJim
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Re: People without kids: refrain from the parentin
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MVNO
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phones for youngsters
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phones for youngsters
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cell phones for kids
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Cell Phone saftey device
enables a parents to monitor their children.I would appreciate knowing how to find out more about this product.
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Paranoid Parents
It can help somebody!
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