Crushed. Cracked. Lost. Stolen. Protecting Your Child's Electronic Devices!
Crushed by books. Cracked when dropped while running for the school bus. Lost in the piles and excitement of the first weeks of school. Stolen in the middle of the school day. As students return to school, repairing or replacing their everyday technology can be expensive.
Missing and damaged equipment--laptops, smartphones, iPads--create a lot of headaches, not only for their physical replacement cost, but also for relevant content that is stored on these devices.
One in ten laptops are stolen or lost in the course of their service. In addition, according to Consumer Reports, 3.1 million smart phones were stolen last year. And, a SquareTrade Study finds that damaged iPhones have cost Americans $5.9 billion since 2007 with accidental damage more common than loss or theft.
Top Laptop Loss
- 70 million are lost annually
- One laptop is lost every 53 seconds
- 47% lost off-site
- 29% are lost in transit
Top 5 Cell Phone Accident Scenarios
- Fell out of my hand: 30%
- Immersed in liquid: 18%
- Fell out of my lap: 13%
- Knocked off a table: 11%
- Liquid spilled on it: 9%
Here are some tips to keep your child's laptop, smartphone, iPad or other electronic gizmos (and yours!) safe.
Insurance. Speak to your Baldwin / Welsh & Parker agent for information on coverage and alternative ways to insure your electronic devices.
Be Prepared! Cases and Backup Content! Invest in specially made cases that reduce the impact of falling and/or water. Make sure you make you and your child take the time to back up your device's content.
Identification. Use both high tech and low tech options to identify your device. A simple sticker with your name and contact information can reunite lost equipment with the owner. Electronic tracking systems can also be implemented that will help you find or protect your telephone's contents.
Consequences and Education. It is important to communicate with your child and come up with the consequences for lost, stolen, or damaged equipment. Make sure your son or daughter understand how much it costs to replace or repair the equipment in question. Take them to the store or to a repair shop and show them first hand. And if the worst happens? Will you ground them? Have them work to pay off the replacement costs? What are the solutions you and your family come up with?
