Personal safety is very important, especially when you’re miles from home, experiencing life on your own for the very first time. Generally speaking, the on-campus experience should be a positive one, but there are external threats that we simply cannot control. To help make students feel more secure as they navigate campus life and its freedoms, several app developments have been introduced to the app world and they serve as personal alarms. Here are some of these apps and how they can help you feel safer on campus.
Watch Over Me
Available for both iOS and Android, this app was co-created by a survivor of a kidnapping attempt herself, Xinch C. She envisioned an application with multiple features beyond the usual panic button. If you feel unsafe walking alone in a particular area, open the application and set a timer for how long you’d like your location to be monitored. You can also have a safety network of friends to keep an extra eye on you throughout your journey -whether it be from the car, to the library or to a nearby coffee shop. If you don’t hit “I’m Safe” before the timer goes off, your network will be notified immediately. Other features include the ability to add notes, videos and pictures of your surroundings, all of which are provided to your safety contacts if an alert is generated.
OnWatchOnCampus
The award-winning app tailored for students allows you to keep your emergency contacts and first-responder numbers a click away. Simply pre-program the numbers of your campus police and your “emergency friends” as well as the message you would like to share with them in the event that something scary happens. If something were to occur, after having pre-programmed your app, the contact button becomes your main screen even as your phone is locked so that you can simply double-tap and deploy call, texts and email alerts to all the parties selected. Additionally, the “Watch My Back” feature allows you to set a timer and responds by sending text and email alerts to your emergency contacts if the timer is not deactivated on time.
bSafe
This app functions as a mobile-based safety alarm. The application has a red button that appears on the phone screen, and when this button is pressed, a loud siren goes off and all emergency contacts are notified. Additionally, when the alarm is triggered, a video recording begins. All emergency contacts, including 911 if you choose, will be alerted using your GPS location and recorded video.