When you give your kid a smartphone, the idea is typically that he or she will be much easier to reach. In reality, it many cases it makes it easier for your child to contact their friends and ignore you. A new app, called ReplyASAP, fixes that problem for you, allowing you to send text messages that your kids will have no choice but to respond to.
Once you have it installed on your child’s phone, messages that you as a parent send through the app will cause an alarm to sound on your child’s phone, and keep sounding, until he or she looks at the message. Then the alarm will stop, but you’ll also get notification letting you know that your child saw your “Come Home Immediately!” message. That means the excuse of “My phone was on silent” or “I didn’t see it” kind of go out the window.
Do not use something like this to constantly text your child.
If every message you send to your kid is through this app, then I think there are bigger communication issues at play in your relationship that an obnoxious app isn’t going to be the solution for, in fact, it might make things a little worse. And if your child is a teenager, sending them a blaring message while they might be using their smartphone for directions while driving seems like a hazard.
It’s obnoxious, potentially dangerous, and at the very least will be exceptionally alienating to a kid whom you’re already having trouble speaking with. Plus, let’s face it, any smart kid will be able to figure out how to delete the tihng.
That said, I do think it’s a good idea as a “last resort” kind of thing, when traditional calls and texts haven’t worked and you really need to get in touch with your child. For instance, when my grandmother passed away, I missed a few calls from my parents and didn’t think anything of it. Having a way to get an emergency message through, one that literally screams “No really, call me” could have been useful. Or, if you’ve been reasonable and sent a few other messages through traditional avenues, it could be a last straw in trying to get in contact.