Not sure if you’ve heard but, there are two new apps on the block – LifeFone’s mobile personal security aka mPERS apps – that can come in EXTREMELY handy for any college student. Mobile Alert™ and Family Guard™ by LifeFone – once downloaded onto your smartphone, may look tiny and insignificant in comparison to sophisticated Facebook, sexy SnapChat, and thousands of other apps, but they pack serious power – the power of a 24/7 professionally monitored response center. That’s right. These apps act as a personal security system similar to a home alarm system but do so when you aren’t at home – they accompany you wherever your smartphone goes which we all know is everywhere YOU go. Bathroom, grocery store, blind date…you get the picture.

So, obviously, we could all use a security guard with us 24 hours a day, but certain age groups – like college students – really need to arm themselves with this added layer of protection and emergency response. College students face a plethora of stress points including, but not limited to, academia, financials, unfamiliar environments, shared living spaces, communal areas, new and old friends, new and old love interests, etc., and can find themselves susceptible to illness, depression, crime related incidents, safety-risks and more once they embark on their collegiate journey.

With the push of a single panic button on your smartphone, LifeFone Mobile Alert™ and Family Guard™ are able to bring help to a student’s exact GPS location – all without saying a word. Family Guard has an added feature that includes the ability to monitor, in real-time, locations for family members. Both apps have a 24/7 monitoring center and are equipped with unique profiles on users, that are able to not only ensure that a student’s needs and/or issues are met, but also help ensure their safety if faced with the following potentially harmful and life-threatening issues and/or situations:

Physical and/or Mental Illness: Illness, whether physical or mental, can be debilitating and downright difficult to manage. With LifeFone, for those suffering from pain and/or depression, help is just a button press away. Having profiles on file enables us to send the right help – fast – to prevent further injury and/or self harm.

Physical and/or Sexual Attack: Physical and sexual attacks can happen anywhere – especially on college campuses and at off-site houses and parties, and when drinking is involved. With one press of a personal assistance button, the victim can call for help – and the closest emergency response team can be deployed to their location.

Disappearance and/or Kidnapping: Unfortunately, abductions can also occur anywhere – and at anytime. Family Guard’s personal assistance button combined with the ability for family members to monitor real-time GPS locations can mean the difference between your loved one returning or not.

Stalking: If you have ever had that feeling of being watched, you know how unnerving and downright scary it can be. LifeFone’s 24/7 professionally monitored call center is on hand to help. That’s right. A Mobile Alert operator can stay on the line as a virtual escort, notify friends or family members if requested, and if necessary notify authorities to make the user is protected.

Have other reasons to add to the list?