Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Do You Know Who Your Kids Are Texting and Talking To?

Is your child constantly texting or talking on their cell phone? Do you really know who they are talking to? Like most parents, you are probably a little curious or concerned that they are spending too much time with their fingers on the keys and the phone to their ear

Texting is quick, it’s easy and it’s a fun way for kids to communicate. The average teenager is sending thousands of text messages each month. It's becoming the next obsession... ranking right up there with video games. Considering the fact that I have to pry ten words out of my teenager, I can't imagine he has that much to talk about.

Of course, my curiosity got the best of me and I started checking his messages on the rare occasion that he actually set his phone down. I then made the mistake of mentioning something that I read. Now he just clears out his messages before he plugs his phone in to charge. Am I not supposed to see WHAT he’s talking about or WHO he’s talking to?

After much research, I found a great method to easily discover the information I was looking for.

First
- Check your cell phone bill. The most up-to-date information is usually online. Scan the text message or call details and write down the numbers you are curious about.

Second - There are several services available to reverse lookup cell phone numbers and they all pretty much work the same way. It is likely you will have to pay a small fee (either yearly or monthly), but the service is WELL worth it.

You are welcome to try the service I recommend by simply typing in a phone number ( ex. 555-555-5555) below. You won't believe how simple it is to find the information you are looking for in order to better monitor your child's phone usage.








Some parents (and children) might argue that this type of cell phone detective work is a form of invading your child’s privacy. With all of the technology available to our kids today, we are definitely not the only one’s invading their privacy and it’s next to impossible to turn your head and pretend you aren’t concerned or at least curious.

Good Luck and Happy Sleuthing!