Results: GPS Tracking Watches for Kids
Published on 08/29/2016
One day, a 9 year old boy wandered away from his elementary school in Spokane, Washington and never looked back.
When he failed to make it home, his panicked mom called 911. It wasn’t the first time the child — who has Asperger syndrome — had gone missing. He was prone to wandering and getting lost, which is why his mom, made her son wear a special high tech wristband to track his every move. While on the line with 911, the dispatcher activated the bracelet to pinpoint his exact location using advanced cellular signal triangulation technology.
Police found the boy 10 minutes after that first call for help, 15 blocks away from his school. He was safe and soon back in his mother’s arms. However, there have been many people report numerous problems with the devices including malfunctioning, monthly tracking costs, and non refundable damages. Are parents using GPS trackers in place of good parenting or is it a smart way to use technology while on vacation or for a child who suffers from Autism or just tends to wander off?
QUESTIONS
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Comments
1.
1.
Have you ever heard of the GPS tracking watches for kids? Yes
31%
547 votes
No
55%
954 votes
Undecided
5%
81 votes
Not Applicable
10%
168 votes
2.
2.
There aren't any truly "tamper-proof" watches, because the child or anyone else can easily remove it. If you bought one would you only consider buying one that has the "tamper alert" feature, that let's you know if it is being removed? Yes
38%
669 votes
No
10%
173 votes
Undecided
15%
270 votes
Not Applicable
36%
638 votes
3.
3.
Many of the devices have GPS limitations. If the device is SIM enabled and has an active subscription it can usually be tracked anywhere including internationally. However, if the device is not connected to mobile networks it's range will be severely limited. Do you think that it's a good idea to have one for a child? Yes
36%
632 votes
No
10%
172 votes
Undecided
27%
478 votes
Not Applicable
27%
468 votes
4.
4.
•A "water resistant" rating rarely means waterproof. In most cases, it's not safe to submerge water resistant devices, nor is it safe to go swimming, take a bath, or get in the shower with them. Do you think a parent would be unwise to rely on this device to keep their child safe? Yes
37%
641 votes
No
13%
224 votes
Undecided
25%
445 votes
Not Applicable
25%
440 votes
5.
5.
One model has the call the police feature - you can create a list of people /numbers it will call with a one button tap on your app if your child runs off or goes missing - it then links all those people with the tracking app! However, you can set up a "geofence" that provides you with an alert if the child ventures out of the pre-set boundaries that you have. One parent reported that the geo-fence feature would sound off even when the child was sitting beside them in his home. Knowing this would you be skeptical that such a technological device could easily malfunction? Yes
35%
618 votes
No
9%
150 votes
Undecided
28%
488 votes
Not Applicable
28%
494 votes
COMMENTS