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Frustrated Mom Creates ‘Ignore No More’ App To Get Teen Kids To Return Calls

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Renegade:
Here's an interesting app:

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/08/15/frustrated-mom-creates-ignore-no-more-app-to-get-teen-kids-to-return-calls/

Frustrated Mom Creates ‘Ignore No More’ App To Get Teen Kids To Return Calls

Parents in the Tri-State and around the world can relate: Trying to reach your teen by phone, only to get ignored.

One frustrated mom decided to do something about it.

As CBS 2’s Alice Gainer reports, Sharon Standifird, was livid the day she called and texted her teenagers and they didn’t respond.

Once she knew they were safe but ignoring her calls, she got an idea, Gainer reported.

“We need to develop an app that just shuts their phone completely down and they can’t even use it,” Standifird said. “And I started — literally just started researching how to develop an app.”

So after months of design and working with developers, “Ignore No more” was born.

With one tap, a list of only parent-selected contacts come up. The child can call, get the password and unlock the phone.

“Bradley needs to call me because I’m the person that has the unlock password,” Standifird said.

“It takes away texting, it takes away the gaming, it takes away calling their friends. The child will always be able to call 911,” said Standifird.

“So much for my daughter saying she didn’t get my text,” a woman named Deborah from Hoboken, N.J. told CBSNewYork.com. She added she loves the idea and is going to download the app.

CBSNewYork Facebook fan Teresa said she “loves it.” Antonio commented on Facebook that he would use the app, “especially since I’m the one paying the phone bills.”

So far, it seems the app has been a success. Standifird says her son responds to her texts and calls more quickly than he used to.

Her son Bradley, however, likes the idea, but not for himself. “Um, well I thought it was a good idea, but for other people, not me.”

“Ignore No More” is available only for Android phones on Google Play.
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Heh. Clever. :)

mouser:
nice. very clever.

40hz:

Her son Bradley, however, likes the idea, but not for himself. “Um, well I thought it was a good idea, but for other people, not me.”

-Renegade (August 17, 2014, 12:41 AM)
--- End quote ---

Brad sounds like yet another one of those "Um, yeah, but uh...it shouldn't be like that." kids.

Good luck with your prodigy Ms. Standifird. :-\

Note: I take a pretty dim view of using just technology to discipline and socialize children. That's why I never would take a request from anyone to put "use monitoring" or other"nanny/spy" software on a child's computer. (Lost a damn good client once because of that policy too!)

In this case, I would have liked it more if she came up with something that sent an autoresponse back to let her know the phone had received the message - and then let her little darling know that if HE didn't also respond within a reasonable amount of time, he was grounded.

There's always the chance of an emergency where placing an immediate call, text, or taking a photo/vid is time critical. Like when you went someplace and/or did something you weren't supposed to - and ended up in a situation where it was imperative to contact Fire Rescue or the police as quickly as possible. Or to photo/video document something for legal reasons.

In an emergency, seconds often count. Especially if Mom is not available to immediately answer the call and unlock her kid's phone. (I can predict more than a few parents might decide not to answer a tardily returned call. They'll just play the old "tit for tat" game and 'punish' their kid by deliberately not answering and leave their kid's phone locked out. Teach em' a lesson that will!)

So having to call or text Mom back first could have dangerous unintended consequences.

FWIW I have little faith in deploying restrictive technology that "only the parent" (or employer - or the government?) can supposedly use. Because if it's out there, somebody will hack it and put it to unintended uses.

And the kids will discover (and share) ways get around it soon enough.

So... Ms. Gainer? You're a parent. Why not adopt Google's public mantra of: "Do no evil." since you like Android so much.

You can start by raising your own kid and not depending on Uncle Android to discipline him/her/it.

It doesn't take a village (or a multi-billion dollar corporation) to raise a child. Just a patient and responsible parent. :P

hamradio:
In an emergency, seconds often count. Especially if Mom is not available to immediately answer the call and unlock her kid's phone. (I can predict more than a few parents might decide not to answer a tardily returned call. They'll just play the old "tit for tat" game and 'punish' their kid by deliberately not answering and leave their kid's phone locked out. Teach em' a lesson that will!)

So having to call or text Mom back first could have dangerous unintended consequences.
-40hz (August 17, 2014, 08:49 AM)
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Just to confirm...

“...The child will always be able to call 911,” said Standifird.
-CBS New York
--- End quote ---

40hz:
^Even with that, the rest of my comment still stands because not every 'emergency' demands a 911 call. A call for roadside assistance or other less serious problem wouldn't be helped by having 911 available. :)

But this app doesn't block 911 solely due to a decision made by the app developer either. I have since learned ALL mobile devices are required by law to have non-defeatable 911 capabilities. Your cellphone can even dial 911 without a SIM card installed. As long as the antenna functions and can get a signal, you can call 911.

At least in the USA.

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