As kids, we all thought that running ahead of your mother while at the mall and ducking into racks filled with clothing was fun. Hearing your mom call your name, sometimes frantically, and jumping out and yelling ‘Boo!’ as her footsteps grew near. We all did it, had fun playing pranks, and most likely scared our parents out of their wits. The thought of losing your child is terrifying. Fortunately, modern technology offers us a little added piece of mind.
LostKidz is an app designed to allow parents who have lost or been separated from their children to issue and instant alert to people in the vicinity. The goal of LostKidz is to combat a parents’ worst nightmare: losing their child.
One million children are reported missing in the United States every year. Millions more are lost for short periods of time (under one hour). If your child goes missing, you can use LostKidz to alert app users in the nearby vicinity. The app alerts everyone in a designated area, shows a photo of your child, and lets bystanders know to look for a lost child. Any sightings or details about the situation are sent directly to the parent.
LostKidz’s goal is to reduce the numbers of lost children – not just a little, but by a significant amount. The LostKidz app costs $.99 in the app store. A simpler, free version is available, too.
Another beneficial app to download is the Amber Alert GPS app. It works very similar to the LostKidz app and is available for download on Apple products and Androids, too.
The Amber Alert GPS app uses global positioning systems and notifies you when your child is within 500-feet of a sex offender’s home. Those who have produced the Amber Alert GPS software have a goal: to save the lives of children through GPS technology. More information can be found on the Amber Alert GPS website or on their Facebook Page.
Thanks to everyone who called in to Ocean 98.1 FM with concerns, questions, and comments about today’s subject. We hope that you never have to worry about a missing child or lost child, but we recommend trying these technologies if such a thing were ever to happen. Tune into Ocean City, MD’s Irie Radio – Ocean 98.1 for more technological tips and advice next week – You’ve gotta have this stuff!
Written by Ami Reist.