Mom Creates An App That Makes It Impossible For Kids To Ignore Their Parents' Calls
The app "Ignore No More" lets parents lock their kid's smartphones until they call home.
By Sadho Ram — 17 Aug 2014, 12:35 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
Tired of her son not answering her calls and texts, a mom decided to build an app that would allow her to remotely disable her son's smartphone if he doesn't return her calls or texts messages
After plenty of research, Sharon Standifird, a military veteran based in Houston, Texas, created Ignore No More, an app that leaves children with no choice but to reply to their parents
Sharon, who served in the Gulf War and has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, saw designing the app as just another challenge, and she spent months working with developers.
go.com"We need to develop an app that just shuts their phone completely down and they can't even use it," she told ABC's Houston-owned station KTRK-TV. "I got on the Internet and I literally just started researching how to develop an app." Several months later, she debuted the "Ignore No More" app for Android devices.
christianpost.com"It takes away texting, it takes away the gaming, it takes away calling their friends," Sharon told ABC News
When a parent wants to lock their child's phone, all they have to do is to open the app and tap their child's name. Then enter an unlock code twice and then click to lock phone.
The child's screen then goes blank. With one tap, they get a list of pre-approved contacts, and they must call one in order to receive the password to unlock their phone.
The parents can determine a list of adults — likely themselves and other close relatives — that the children can call in case of the phone being locked down. They’ll also have the ability to call 911 and other emergency services, natch, so there’s no concern regarding safety.
phandroid.comHow does Sharon's son, Bradley (the "inspiration" behind the invention), feel about the app?
Her son Bradley, however, likes the idea, but not for himself. “Um, well I thought it was a good idea, but for other people, not me.”
cbslocal.com
His mom added, “I do have to say that he responds to my texts and my calls a whole lot quicker than he used to.”
go.comAnd in case you're wondering, "well, what's stopping the child from simply uninstalling the app", Sharon claims that the app is virtually impossible to uninstall or disable for a child
"Can my child unregister/uninstall the app from their phone? No, the parent username/email and password are required to unregister or uninstall the Ignore No More app from their phone. So be very careful to protect your account information. If your child has great detective skills and discovers this information, change the password for the parent account immediately!"
Ignore No More costs USD1.99 (RM6.28) and is currently only available for Androids on Google Play, but Sharon says she is working on a version for the iPhone
The problem with this app, if you ask us, and how it can be abused?
While Ignore No More is meant for the parent-children dynamic, what's really stopping anyone from installing this on their significant others' smartphone while they're asleep?
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