LAS VEGAS - LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc. (LG Mobile Phones) stepped-up it programs to address the issues of safe and responsible mo-bile phone use. Building on its highly praised teen campaign that combats mobile phone misuse, LG is unveiling broader multi-platform program for 2010. The program an-nounced at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show – “LG Text Education” – includes an advisory council of experts who will provide guidance and tips for parents.
“With leadership comes responsibility,” said Ehtisham Rabbani, vice president of mar-keting and innovation for LG Mobile Phones. “Years of research have resulted in LG putting more QWERTY devices in the hands of consumers than any other manufac-turer. LG Text Education is a comprehensive and interactive way for us to play a role in the important areas of mobile phone safety and responsible use.”
LG Text Ed: Industry First
The LG Text Ed program will tackle pressing issues such as tween and teen sexting, managing children’s phone usage, the importance of self-esteem in a wireless world, recognizing potentially harmful and hurtful mobile phone behavior, and other concerns facing parents and their children. A first-of-its-kind program among mobile phone manufacturers in the U.S., LG Text Ed will reach parents through a variety of online and public service type marketing platforms.
LG Advisory Council for Parents
A key component of the LG Text Ed program is an advisory council of leading experts who specialize in tween and teen behavior. The council will produce monthly online ar-ticles, tips and videos designed to help parents better understand and identify potentially harmful behaviors and provide them with concrete solutions for addressing them. The council members and the Web site for parents will be announced in the coming weeks.
LG Texting and Driving Simulator
LG is also addressing another very risky mobile phone behavior – texting while driving. At the Consumer Electronics Show, the company has installed a driving simulator in its booth to create awareness about this very dangerous behavior. According to the Na-tional Highway Traffic Safety Administration, distracted driving claimed 6,000 lives in 2008 and caused about 500,000 reported injuries – more than drunk driving.
The “LG Don’t Text & Drive” simulator will allow users to experience the dangers of driving and texting, but in a safe and controlled setting. Users will drive along a virtual highway where they will be evaluated how safely they drive without texting as com-pared to with texting. They’ll receive text messages and be asked to respond with short messages. At the conclusion of the drive, the simulator will offer a comparative evalua-tion between the two driving profiles that demonstrates non-texting complete driver control versus texting while driving with distractions.
LG ‘Give it a Ponder’ Program for Teens
A study sponsored by LG in 2009 found that 22 percent of teens have received a naked picture, 12 percent of teens have sent or forwarded a naked picture, and 11 percent of teens have taken a naked picture on their mobile phones. The company also learned, through its extensive, proprietary research among tweens and teens, that many of these behaviors are considered a normal part of teen life. For many teens, sending, receiving and forwarding these types of messages and images – and even being the target of such messages – is indicative of a higher social status.
Combating these staggering statistics and findings, LG kicked off its fight against mo-bile misuse six weeks ago with its “Give It A Ponder” program, a multimedia viral campaign that targets and encourages teens – using levity and humor – to “ponder” be-fore texting and consider the real consequences of their actions.
While the Ponder campaign targets tweens and teens, the LG Text Ed program will ad-dress parents. LG also has launched LG DTXTR, an online tool that allows parents to decode cryptic and possibly harmful text messages their kids may be using.
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