Protection or Privacy: Which Should a Parent Value More?

Protection or Privacy: Which Should a Parent Value More?

BY VIVIAN GOMEZ

If you pass by any millennial, you can hear the endless stories of their childhood; times where they roamed free in the streets, without a phone or worry about the world. However, times change, and now the average teen possesses the technology to contact their parents about their whereabouts in a split second. As convenient the ability to message is, overprotective parents can abuse this power to track their children’s location 24/7. With apps like Life360 and Safe24, parents now have the authority to constantly see where their child is, at any given time. According to a study from New York Times, about 16 percent of parents of teens ages 13-17 track their GPS location. While it’s understandable to worry about your child’s safety, tracking them prohibits their range of comfort, and may actually heighten their anxiety if they do go out. Additionally, doing so may damage the relationship between the parent and teenager. Feeling as though they are unreliable enough to venture into the world on their own, this can cause a ripple in the connection between both parties. 

Exploring the world firsthand without parental supervision is a major part of growing up. Adapting to new situations on your own is scary for anybody; nonetheless, a teen is not a child and should learn the rewards and consequences to utilizing their freedom. Feeling followed constantly by a digital trail of their location does nothing short of undermining the trust given to the teenager. As a result, teens find ways around this trail; either by leaving their phone elsewhere or disabling location features.

Photo credits to Life360

 While it’s troublesome to deal with a roaming adolescent, there comes a point where it’s more damaging to prohibit their freedom than it is to let them deal with the consequences of getting caught. The effects of an untrusting relationship can turn into outbursts of rebellion. Research shows that “adolescents who believe their parents have invaded their privacy have higher rates of conflict at home.”

Conflicts as such can be prevented through open communication between the teen and the parent. According to a Twitter poll done by Newsbytes Online, out of 50 participants, 60% believed that GPS tracking is right under certain situations. This means that GPS tracking is viable if both parties are consenting, and tracking can be justified reasonably. In the end, the communication and honesty in a relationship is important for parents looking into GPS tracking, but valuing a child’s privacy is key to a healthy compromise.