As technologies and the norms surrounding them change, parents are finding themselves faced with new types of dangers to protect their children from. Luckily, with these new dangers come new tools that keep kids safe in revolutionary ways, such as geofencing. Geofencing works in conjunction with GPS and RFID (Bluetooth, for example) to create physical zones. It’s the same type of technology that Snapchat uses to create geographically appropriate photo filters, and it can be put to much more use than taking silly pictures.
Getting Started
The first step is to download a geofence app and install it on your phone or use another type of device. These types of apps may require you to purchase a membership or pay ahead for the service, but once you’ve done this you’ll be able to link to your child’s device’s location and set parameters and times for their activities.
Setting Parameters
When it comes to creating geofences, there is no one size fits all approach. Geofencing creates acceptable “zones” for your child to be in a certain time, and alerts you and warns them if they’re not where they’re supposed to be. For instance, if your teen is supposed to be at school from 8:00 to 3:00, you’ll be alerted if they’re at their friend’s house during that time, instead.
Creating “Out of Bounds” Zones
Another way of keeping your kids safe while using geofencing is to focus less on where your children are “supposed to be”, and be more explicit about where you don’t want them to go. This works well for when your children are playing with others and you want to give them more freedom to run around the neighborhood, but you don’t want them going near the irrigation canals.
Setting up a geofence to keep your children safe from harm is a no-frills process, and there are different techniques and strategies you can choose when setting up parameters and boundaries. Whether you cordon off an industrial area near your home or create a geofence around your house so your teen can’t sneak out, there are many reasons to use this technology to protect our kids.