Star Trek technology has arrived. A new GPS tracking device is available for your children in the form of a wristwatch. Kids wearing the watch from Flip Technologies (available later this year) can talk into the device to their parents, or other authorized guardians, if they find themselves lost at the supermarket or after wandering too far away at the playground. GPS and Wi-Fi tracks your child’s location and sends it to your cell phone so you can see where they are at all times. When your child can’t find you, he or she can push the panic button and instantly call up to five numbers that have been programmed into the watch.
Although devices like this make parents and children feel safer and more secure, some psychologists argue that giving your kid a panic button sends them message that danger is lurking. Professionals have also expressed a concern about kids relying too much on parents for help, rather than developing their own problem solving skills.
Whether or not you think tracking technology for your child is a good idea, remember to always talk to them about what to do in dangerous situations, and how not to talk to strangers. Technology may help, but the old-school rules still apply.