“And if you think computers are trouble,” I often say to parents, “wait until you see the new generation of cell phones.” Cell phones are tomorrow’s problem today because they really do put the Internet into kids’ pockets and make it their travel companion. Kids can take photos and post to the web, receive solicitations, bully each other–all the things that trouble parents about kids and computers, only now it’s out of a parent’s reach. Making matters worse, kids’ “thinking time” to assess their actions is reduced because there’s no waiting to find a PC before blurting something out something that they’ll regret.

Communications are more immediate than ever. You used to have to wait to get home from the party and post your photos online. Now you can post live, egged on by friends, while the party is just getting started.

I just saw a demonstration of a new product called RADAR: MyMobileWatchdog. The name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue and mixes metaphors terribly, but it may fit the bill for some parents, especially parents of younger children or of children who are perennial phone abusers.

For $10 a month, My Mobile Watchdog is a downloadable utility that you install on your child’s phone. It allows you to monitor phone activities to the extent that you see fit. You can view copies of their emails or just look at a log of the calls they’ve made and received. You can look at their text messages or photos sent via the phone. You can even remove an unsavory address from your child’s phone address book.

Parents get alerted on their own cell phones if their child receives an unsolicited communication. They can then go onto any Internet-connected PC and review the activities or change the permissions. The one thing it can’t monitor is when a child browses the Internet on their phone.

There have been other services that try to help monitor kids’ phone usage and there have been more than a few phones designed especially for kids. The more interesting part is that you don’t need any special phone or special service provider to use the product. RADAR: MyMobileWatchdog.com is an application that you can download to any phone with any data plan. For now, RADAR works only on smart phones like BlackBerrys and Treos, but the company hopes that it can work with basic phones. To access your child’s phone activity, you’ll need to be at an Internet-connected PC and visit the MyMobileWatchdog web site where you can view summaries of activity.

Does it sound a bit draconian to monitor your kids’ phone calls? Depending on the circumstances, it can give parents a chance to determine whether their child is mature enough for full phone privileges. (Do they text message while they’re in class, for example?) It can also help when there is a problem like cyberstalking that could be threatening your child’s safety.

RADAR does not try to hide like a spy; the phone actually has a “monitored by RADAR” alert on the screen. That said, parents should use tools like these judiciously. I’d be inclined to monitor the quantity and time spent on the phone and the occurrence of unauthorized numbers. I’d be less inclined to monitor every email message or text message, provided the kids exercised some moderation. Kids need to have a private life, but it’s always nice to know they’ll be ready for it when you give it to them. Right?