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Cell Phone Tips

They Help, But Can Also Hurt

They help you have peace of mind when you are traveling and perhaps have car trouble. Business can be conducted at a push of a button. Parents can call their children to check on them or the children can call to get a ride. Cell phone technology is the leading technology today and growing by leaps and bounds. We can talk, play music, play games, take pictures, check e-mail, record videos, get directions, send text messages and make reservations. The benefits are countless, but so are the dangers.

Distracting While Driving

One of the most common reasons for auto accidents is due to unsafe driving due to distractions of a cell phone. Operating an automobile is serious business and is a privilege, not a right. Cell phones can be distracting for drivers. They try to read a text message, they try to pick up a call and may drop the phone. If you choose to use a cell phone while driving take the following precautions:

• Assess traffic condition before calling.
• Place calls when stopped, have a passenger call or PULL OFF THE ROAD is the best choice.
• Use speaker phone or hands-free device
• Avoid intense, emotional or complicated conversations
• Avoid talking on the phone in congested traffic or bad weather.
• Avoid texting while driving this is very dangerous!

Source: Adapted from the State of Alabama Drivers Manual.

Sexting

This is a new term that means to use a cell phone to send sexually suggestive texts or e-mails, with nude or nearly nude photos.

• 39% of all teens have sent sexually suggestive texts.
• 48% of teens say they have received such messages.
• 71% of teen girls and 67% of teen boys who have sent or posted sexually suggestive content say they have sent/posted this content to a boyfriend or girlfriend.
• 21% of teen girls and 39% of teen boys say they have sent such content to someone they wanted to date or hook up with.
• 38% of teens say they have had sexually suggestive text messages, originally meant for someone else, shared with them.
• 25% of teen girls and 33% of teen boys say they have had semi-nude or nude photos, originally meant for someone else, shared with them.

Source: The National Compaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

Tips For Parents

• Talk to your children about cell phone danger
• Messages or picture they send are not truly private and if the law is broken will be obtained for court purposes.
• Know who your kids are communicating with.
• Learn who your kids are spending time with online and on the cell phone.
• Check your childrens messages and photos sent and received so you know what is going on in their lives.
• Contact your cell phone provider about blocks or monitors.
• Be aware of the number of texts and photos children sends each month.
• If it becomes a problem buy them a plain phone with no camera.

Think Before You Press Send

Think about the consequences of taking, sending, and forwarding a sexual picture of someone underage, even if it's of yourself. You could get kicked off of your sports teams, face family and public humiliation, lose education scholarships and even be faced with heavy fines and prison time for sending nude pictures of a minor, even if the minor is yourself. You will be charged with charges of Child Pornography, go to jail/prison and have to register as a sex offender for LIFE!

Report any nude photos you receive to an adult you trust. Do not delete the message. Instead, get your parents, teachers or counselors involved IMMEDIATELY!

Source: NetSmartz.org

Special Thanks to: Verison Foundation

Updated: 2010.04.30 - 11:00 MDT