AT&T Helps Parents

In a move to help fed up parents with the hassle of setting boundaries, consequences, and examples, AT&T unveiled their new Smart Limits plan today. For $5 a month , and with little more than a couple sentences of communication, parents can set limits on how many minutes their children can use, what times of day their phone can be used, as well as block calls and text messages from specified phone numbers. AT&T said they’ll soon be renting dog collars for as little as $3 a month. These collars, which lock firmly around a child’s neck, and come in a variety of hip styles, deliver painful shocks whenever their kids consider using a phone during a parentally set “blackout” time. “It’s the next generation technology,” an AT&T spokesman said. “Imagine, instead of locking them out of their phone, you were able to mold their behavior, help them learn better phone practices. With the Psych-Lock, you’ll be able to accomplish this.” Look for them on store shelves in time for the Christmas shopping season.

September 04 2007 06:37:37 PM EDT