It’s the time of year when many high school seniors are making life changing decisions about where the will spend the next four years in college. There is so much excitement! College tee-shirts are being purchased and dorm shopping is soon to commence. Students are likely thinking about how much freedom they will have in their new environment, while parents are thinking…about how much freedom their kids will have in college; but in a different way. As parents send their children to live away from home for the first time, their safety is, understandably, a major concern. There are a lot of safety related items that can be purchased to provide your children with some protection on or off campus. Things like pepper spray and stun guns. But there are also some great technology based apps and tools available as well:
Life 360 – The New Family Circle – This app allows you to create your own circle of members so that you can check in with them easily to let them know you are safe. You can customize it to keep friends and family circles separate and can control location sharing. Location sharing is specific to each Circle, and you can turn it off and on whenever you want. You can even privately chat with the people in your circle. Everything on the app is designed to help manage the day to day chaos in life. It’s not about “tracking” your children without them knowing, it’s about safety.
Revolar – Revolar is a wearable personal safety device. When you are in an emergency, opening and app can take 15 seconds or more. With Revolar you can summon help with a simple click of a button. It also has a “safe check-in” feature that allows you to click the button to let people know you arrived at your destination safely. It is discreet and can be worn in many ways – clipped to clothing, a bag, or keychain.
Personal Safety Alarms – The Sound Grenade is an ultra-compact personal alarm. This hand-held device may look tiny, but it makes a mighty sound! When you pull the pin, it emits a 130 decibel (ambulance-level) alarm. The alarm will keep going for 30 minutes or until the pin is put back in place.
Silent Beacon – Another hand-held gadget, the Silent Beacon is a life alert device that links to a safety app. It is wearable and has panic button that connects to smartphones, tablets, and other compatible Bluetooth devices. It can place a call to family or friends or emergency personnel when in an emergency. It will also provide your GPS location. It can be carried on a key chain and has rechargeable batteries.
Noonlight – This personal safety app provides you with a sense of security if you are feeling uneasy, but you’re not sure if you should dial 911. Let’s say you are walking to your car and you feel unsafe. You simply press the Noonlight button and hold it down until you get to the safety of your vehicle. Once there, release the button and enter your 4-digit pin. If you are still in danger, release the button but DON’T enter your pin. Local police will be notified of your locations and emergency.
While you want your children to enjoy the freedom and responsibility that comes with going away to college, you still want to know they are safe. Technology makes that a lot easier!!
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Photo credit: thedailybeast.com,
cnn.com and usnews.com