BBaker2008_KeitaiKids

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with their children could also develop a greater trust for mobile operators and the shows themselves.

Another suggestion for mobile operators is that they produce handsets that have less and more limited functions, much like FireFly does in the United States. While Docomo’s newest child-oriented phone, the F801, comes with new and improved safety features, it also provides 3G Internet access. With Internet access being one of the main sources of incidents occurring via mobile phones, this implementation is questionable. The production of handsets that only allow calls and text messages to be sent and received by registered individuals and authorities, as well as having no Internet access, is recommended. This could prove to be a much better way to show parents the company’s concern for child safety. While maintaining very important safety features, yet removing as many causes of worry as possible, adults are more likely to open up to the idea of allowing their children to own a mobile phone.

In general, while the mobile operators and their allies are in the business of making money, they need to be more honest with their customers. They also need to act in ways that backup their claims of helping to keep today’s youth safe. Without doing so, not only will the negative stigma of mobile phones for children remain, but also the results of their current actions could backfire as people come to realize that the mobile phone is doing much more to harm children than to help. If these companies do not act, they will be leaving a large opening for their competitors to move in.

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(5.4.2) The Competitors

The first suggestion for the competitors, such as Secom and Hitachi, is that they continue on their path of innovation, but that they expand their marketing to a much larger scale. From the information above, it is clear that there are many parents who are concerned for their children’s safety, yet are wary of the dangers of the mobile phone. If these types of security companies can get the word out on their products and services to a much larger degree, it is certain that many individuals would be interested. While Secom does a good job with its website in introducing its products and services, as well as the dangers of mobile phones, this information would only be found by an individual who is searching exactly for it. If Secom, or any other security company, could produce a large-scale marketing campaign with the same kind of convincing materials, an opening to rival the mobile phone operators for the young child market could appear.

Another suggestion, especially for Hitachi as this is one of their business goals, is to achieve better relations with the government and school systems. If such companies could get their systems implemented into schools so that students are required to, or are offered the chance to sign up for the security devices, parents would have a clear option other than mobile phones. This could act in unison with or act as a replacement for a large-scale marketing campaign. Even with a large-scale campaign, the information may not be trusted or missed completely. However, with support from schools and the government, as well as information on the services coming directly from the two, parents would become better informed and more trusting of the companies. The government and schools are both well aware of the dangers of mobile phones, and also

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of the dangers children face in society on a daily basis. It is very likely they would be interested in such services that take out two birds with one stone.

A way to develop better ties with the government and schools would be to follow one of the suggestions given to the mobile operators. Security companies, a.k.a. competitors to mobile phone operators, could gain the necessary trust and awareness of their services by sponsoring mobile phone danger, ethics, and training programs with schools, even before implementing their systems. By going out of their way, using their time and resources to inform children and parents about the problems that come with child mobile phone use and how to prevent them, these companies could acquire the image of authoritative and concerned entities. And of course, one of the danger prevention strategies they would inform people of would be the implementation of their systems into schools, as well as families’ lives.

A final suggestion to the security companies is to look into cooperating with mobile operators to create the kind of basic phone described above, and/or on integrating mobile phones into their security systems. If the security companies do not feel that they can directly compete with the massive operators, the co-branding of a very secure and simple handset could prove valuable. The attraction of a limited in function handset that only allows certain registered communications, such as described previously, could be increased when combined with the brand name of a proven security company. As stated earlier, Secom’s “Coco-Secom” means “Here-Secom” in Japanese. Giving the sense that Secom is here with an individual to keep them safe. A co-branded “DocomoSecom” phone would translate to, “Everywhere-Secom”. Providing the sense that one’s

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child would be safe no matter where they are.

Allowing such a co-branded phone, or any other child-oriented handset, to be integrated into the company’s security system could also prove beneficial. With the popularity of the mobile platform ever growing, children may reject the idea of using one of the GPS devices offered by companies such as Secom or Hitachi, only due to the fact that it is not a mobile phone. Therefore, by allowing handsets from mobile operators that have GPS functions to work within the security system just as the standard GPS device does, security companies could attract business from families and/or schools that would have been turned off by the fact that they would have to purchase new devices that overlap with ones they already own.

The reasoning behind mobile phone related suggestions to the competitors lies in the fact that their current devices take away all features of a mobile phone. Above, it was proven that a majority of the dangers that come from child mobile phone use lie in text messaging, the mobile Internet, and their lack of regulations. Voice communication is clearly not a source of risk for children, and many parents may desire to have the ability to talk to their children anytime, something the current competitor devices don’t allow. Thus, using their security expertise to improve the safety of mobile phones, for which the craze will surely never die, may end up being a more valid path to a successful business.

The competitors to the mobile phone operators have a variety of paths to follow in order to gain the upper hand. While some of the suggestions for both operators and competitors are similar, the security companies must act first and effectively if they are

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ever going to gain the awareness needed to compete with the overwhelming obsession for mobile phones. Acquiring the help of watch groups and researchers could give them the extra boost that they need.

(5.4.3) The Watch Groups and Researchers

The priority action for watch groups and researchers to take is to study the kind of product placement taking place in super hero shows. While advertising and product placement aimed at kids has been studied in depth, literally no attention has been paid to this form. If this type of product placement proves effective, the link between addiction, involvement, and connectedness needs to be further examined. Looking for correlations between such things as connectedness and usage may also prove eye opening. In general, the power of this new form of product placement needs to be defined, as prevention of its affects may prove to be much more difficult than standard product placement. In effect, child watch groups will need to be vigilant against company actions regarding its usage, because it is highly likely that the layperson will view and accept its occurrence without notice.

Even if the effects of this product placement are proven to be very weak, as long as there is a small trend, watch groups should be vigilant as companies may be able to develop more powerful techniques from the trends that appear. This week affect should also lead researchers and watch groups to study other causes of addiction, as involvement, and self-efficacy may have no relation to mobile phone addiction or usage. Advertising and product placement aimed at children should also be reexamined. Because both have been proven to be very effective, the reasons for the failure of this

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kind should be understood. The cause could be the simple fact that children miss the connection between hero phones and real phones, or something much deeper.

As suggested to the other groups, child watch groups and researchers should work on developing mobile phone danger, ethics, and use training programs for children and parents. Cooperation with schools and governments would prove to be the most direct and effective path. Because the mobile operators and their allies may not be likely to implement such programs as recommended, the responsibility to provide them may lie in the hands of this group. Also, schools and governments may be much more willing to work with independent non-profit organizations that are not in the business of making money from students.

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Appendix