ParentShield Child-Safe Network

Don't unwittingly allow bullying via answerphone

With Christmas coming, ParentShield - the only child-only mobile network reminds Parents that a cheap SIM deal may actually be expensive, or worse, dangerous.

DERBY, DERBYSHIRE, UK, December 7, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Adult Mobile phone contracts, even if they’re advertised as a “capped mobile contract” or touted as coming with parental controls, simply aren’t suitable for children to use – particularly younger children. It’s very common for adults to fall into the trap of thinking that all they need for their kid’s mobile phone , their first mobile phone probably, is a cheap SIM card.

The major networks are pretty much identical in terms of the security and safety features that they offer, ParentShield reminds, and none offers the safeguarding or spending controls that parents need to keep their children and themselves safe.

Pay as you go SIM cards may be effective in controlling maximum spend, but are wholly unsuitable for children as they can quickly leave the child 'stranded' and unable to call home in an emergency. Topping up can become frequent and expensive.

"We got a family deal for our child on the same network as us", one Parent told ParentShield. "What we didn't bargain for was our son quickly used up all our 'family' data allowance meaning we had no option but to upgrade the whole family's bundle, doubling our monthly contract cost."

Bullying and trolling is a real problem for children and their mobile phones

All the Adult networks have features that presume that the phone user is responsible and capable enough to monitor and control their own access list, and manage their own behaviour effectively. Online bullying is a growing problem for UK youths, where 1 in 4 state they have experienced something upsetting on social media. Being bullied online can be more devastating as kids are no longer able to leave their problems, and bullies, in the playground. In some cases, your child might not even know who their ‘online’ bully is. A ‘normal’ Cheap Mobile Contract comes with little to no ability to block calls or numbers and certainly not remotely and instantly - and certainly not remotely without touching the phone. You may be able to block all anonymous call from the handset but is that what you want? Sometimes Caller-ID information is ‘lost’ in the network and doing this means that a potentially important call from home or work or school may be blocked.

Answerphones a are a real problem for children too. The issues with phone hacking and the well publicised and tragic Milly Dowler case, are perfectly understood, but what may come as a surprise is the number of children who, even if a calling number is blocked, can still continue to be harassed or bullied over the answerphone, either with silent and repetitive calls, or worse. It may be possible to request that answerphone service be turned off on an adult network but in many cases this will result in a 'ping' to the phone with the phone number that has been trying to call. A child will likely call this back, with all the dangers that brings.

ParentShield completely removes all such dangers, and if a caller is blocked via the powerful ParentShield Portal, the child will never be alerted to calls from that number, and there is no way for that number to reach the child.

About ParentShield

ParentShield is the UK’s only Mobile Network designed specifically with children in mind, incorporating a wide range of tools - from call recording to keyword alerts - that allow parents to oversee their child’s phone usage without invading their privacy. It can work with any unlocked feature-phone, smartphone or smartwatch and does not require any app or parental controls to be set on the device. Its features are handled remotely, allowing for optimal convenience while kids retain their independence. The SIMs work across the UK and beyond.

Being a SIM-based network-side service, parents can provide ANY unlocked phone to their child and give them a totally normal mobile phone experience without the stigma of being a locked or crippled "parental control" phone that you wouldn't want to show your friends in the playground.

Graham Tyers
Engine Mobile Ltd.
+44 1283 707057
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