Kids
Mobile Phone Safety
You can do more and more with your mobile now. Of course you can still call your family and text your friends, but lots of mobiles can be used to do other things, including surf the ‘Net. Some mobiles include cameras, sound recording capability, and can also track where you are! While most content and services will be suitable for everyone, some may be unsuitable - even dangerous - for you.
Bullying, strangers making contact, as well as the possibility of accessing ‘adult’ content from your phone – because mobiles are 'always on', these risks are 'always present'.
Tips
- Keep secrets – don’t tell anyone your personal details or check with your parent or carer first. This includes your name, address, your current location, and school. Be very careful about giving out your mobile number too.
- Remember – the person you meet in a chat room may not be who they say they are. And if you give out personal information or send pictures, the person you send them to might send them on to others!
- Take someone with you – if you want to meet someone you haven’t met so far in person, ask a parent or another adult to go with you and always meet in a popular public place during the day.
- Say NO! Don’t accept any offers that seem to good to be true – they probably are. And never accept the offer of a free mobile phone from someone without asking Mum and Dad first!
- Watch out! Stay aware of what’s going on around you and guard your privacy. Remember, if you can take pictures of everything and everyone with your phone, so can other people – and you may not want to be in their photos!
- Be considerate – only send the kinds of messages and pictures you would be happy to get yourself.
- Tell your parents, teacher or another adult if someone sends you nasty or bullying messages or asks you to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable. And don’t respond! Make a note of the number it came from, and the date and time of the call or message, and tell an adult you can trust.
Remember always to be Phone Smart and stay safe. Keep your personal details a secret.
For further information on mobile phone bullying, check out AMTA - mobile phones and bullying