Parents Tracking Their Kids’ Phones

Parents Tracking Their Kids Phones

Jamie Beck, Fine Arts and Slideshow editor

For years now parents have been able to monitor their kids’ phones and are able to see their text messages, photos, videos, app downloads, and browser history with the app “mSpy.” While most kids are very closed in on their phones and keep passwords on them, parents want to know that their kids are being safe at all times. Kids want to feel trusted and can be obsessive about their phones, and adolescence is a serious time in a kid’s life, when they need privacy and a feeling of personal space to develop their own identities. The BBC news said, “The trouble is, this particular subject isn’t covered in the parental playbook; that chapter hasn’t been written yet, and society hasn’t had time to form standards. We have a drinking age and a driving age, but there’s no solid conventional wisdom about at what age kids can safely go online solo or text a friend on their cell phone — or about what our role as parents should be in keeping tabs on our tykes.” This discussion leans on the argument that parents love their kids and want to protect them because its their responsibility. There’s just too much dishonesty online, not to mention bullying and intimidation, and damage to many healthy relationships. Although kids should be able to use their phones without having someone constantly watching over them, if the parents feel like the child is hiding something or every now and then want to check it to make sure nothing wrong is happening then they should, in conclusion children should be able to have privacy while using their phones.