In an article on July 15, my paper highlighted the growth of "sexting" in Asia - "sexting" refers to the sending of sexually explicit text or photographs through one's mobile phone to friends or potential suitors.
Ireland-based Lorcan Burke, chief executive officer of international mobile-security provider AdaptiveMobile, read the article in the online version of my paper.
This is his response: IT IS important that parents start to be aware of the types of content their children can access on a mobile phone and think about how to protect them.
Telcos must also provide monitoring or filtering tools. As it is, in terms of mobile-phone use, the Asia-Pacific makes up almost half the global market (42 per cent), with approximately 1.4 billion mobile-phone subscribers.
However, these phones are increasingly being used by children to access the Internet and download content, raising concerns over what they can view or be subjected to. Mobile phones today provide a rich user experience, with text
and multimedia messages being used to facilitate communications.
However, the now-ubiquitous gadget can expose children to inappropriate or anti-social content, where users are spammed with pornographic images or given access to violent video games meant only for people over a certain age.
Cyber-bullying is also a growing problem, with 11 per cent of UK teens having experienced it and 13 per cent saying it is worse than physical bullying. The growth of mobile social networking also exposes children to threats, such as grooming,where adults actively seek out minors to communicate with and potentially abuse.
For parents,simply taking the phones away from their children is not an ideal solution, as they have often been provided for safety reasons. This approach could also deter children from being open about threats as they don't want to lose their phones.
A Mobile Online survey in the United States revealed that 75 per cent of 13- to 17-year-olds indicated the ability to reach family members as the most important feature of their mobile phones. And 51 per cent "couldn't live without their cell phones", demonstrating just how important they consider their phones to be.
What can be done? Mobile operators must put in place appropriate controls to ensure a safe mobile experience for children, with technology to allow parents to block applications, phone numbers and sites, or allow certain technologies in a limited capacity.
Parents need access to customised controls they can easily implement to manage access levels, based on factors such as a family's religious and cultural preferences, as well as a child's age.
Powerful automated tools that sit on the mobile network can be used to protect children. This means that activity is not spied upon and users' privacy is not infringed. These tools exist as a filter and block inappropriate or illegal content from the child.
With this monitoring of content, vulnerable users can be empowered to get the most out of their mobile, with control over who can contact them and the type of content they receive.
Mobile phones are a great tool for communication and entertainment, but only if used in the right way, with the right content reaching the right people.
By working closely with their mobile-service provider and establishing open communication and clear boundaries with their children, parents can establish a mobile environment that works for them and their children.
