Ah Children. Precious little miracles, but they can be quite a handful at times. Every since the computer revolution began it has always been the younger generation that has been able to adapt and adopt the newest technologies, sometimes in ways that we never expected.
Students with cell phones have found a way to get around many of their school’s cell phone policy. Some schools you aren’t allowed to have a phone, and at some you can have one but it cannot be on and is used only in emergencies. The students can’t really have a big talk with friends during class but they have adopted another method and that’s using text messages.
The new trick that’s making the rounds is downloading a ring tone off the internet that is so high pitched that most adults cannot hear it. But the children can hear this 17 kilohertz ring tone. In the middle of class while the teacher is giving a lecture or while they are taking a test, they will hear this high pitch beeping noise and the teacher will most likely be completely unaware of it.
This ring tone is really a spin off of technology called “Mosquito” created by a Welsh security company. The technology takes advantage of the fact that as we age we start to lose the ability to hear some of the higher frequency sounds that children have no problem picking up when the phone alerts them of a new message. The original use of “Mosquito” was for shop and store owners to keep youngsters from loitering in front of their places of business while not effecting adults customers at all.
What is the best way to counteract this trend? A mobile phone is a great safety device and also makes scheduling family transportation and activities much easier. Many times if you want to add an additional ring tone to a cell phone you will have to purchase credits from the cell phone provider. These would show up on your wireless billing invoice. Add-on ring tones are one of those things that younger uses will most likely want to have, so if you allow this keep a close eye on what tones they are adding. Not just for this little buzzing Mosquito noise, but also for your pocketbook! A ring tone can cost anywhere from 99 cents to 3 dollars! Maybe make it a rule that if the ring tones are earned or rewarded they must be picked out with the help of a parent. This can also help prevent someone picking out an inappropriate song to use as a ring tone too.