The development of technology has helped to change parenting in the last few years. All these new problems have influenced how parents treat their children today and how they raise them.
And as much as this technological development may have contributed to the education system, it also brought some of the dangers along – especially when it comes to children.
The time a child spends on the Internet cannot be tracked, right? But what if it could be?
Today, there are a number of apps that offer new parents the option to track their child’s phone location as well as what exactly they are doing on their phone. From messaging to using apps and so on.
But the question is, is that right? Is it okay for children not to have their privacy and until what age? To what extent should the child’s use of the phone be restricted?
As much as a parent takes care of his child’s safety in this way, is he actually crossing the line by overcontrolling?
Contents
Reasons for tracking your kids’ phones
For security reasons, in some situations, it is still okay for parents to monitor their children’s phones, and here are some of those reasons.
1. For protection
As we have already mentioned, the safety of the child is very important. It is normal for a parent to have fear every time their child is not at home. Times have changed and there are a number of things that affect child safety today. Every parent is afraid that their child will disappear or that something will happen to them, and unfortunately, these are all rational fears.
If using these apps is something that will give you peace of mind then go ahead but don’t misuse it. Excessive checking of the child leads to the creation of distrust in the relationship.
2. Accountability
It is likely that your children will lie to you about some things. All these could be some small lies that are not so terrible and that you do not need to know. But it will also happen that very likely there will be real problems with hiding secrets during puberty.
Children want to have their privacy, which is perfectly fine, but they still need to know that you, as parents, only want the best for them. Such as, for example, to teach them about responsibility.
The fact is that they have to learn at a young age that they are responsible for their every action as well as for every lie they make.
So you will no longer have to worry if your child is lying when they say they are going to Amy’s to do a biology project together because you will easily be able to check if they are at John’s house party.
3. Controlling new numbers added
This can be both helpful and reassuring to any parent. Why?
Phone tracking is fine at a child’s early age, when the child has not yet learned to distinguish between when he is in danger and when he is still naive. But is it okay to pay attention to the new contacts in his phone? Or monitor the child’s contacts at all?
It’s up to you to decide how much you really need to do this, and it’s up to us to recommend apps that will easily track every step on your child’s phone.
If you’re still not sure which application you can use to do this spyphone is a great option for phone monitoring your child’s phone because it offers you access to contacts, information about who has their phone number and a panic button in danger in addition to checking the location.
Is it legal to track your kids’ phones?
This is a legal question that we have an answer to! Yes. But the laws differ from country to country. So, for example, this is legal in America until the child is 21 years old, and in Croatia until 18 and so on. Basically, a parent is allowed to track the movements of their children as long as they are considered children in that country and if the child is made aware of it.
But keep in mind if you are from Germany that these apps are strictly prohibited in your country. You should also check if this is legal only in the case where the parent owns the child’s phone. It also depends from country to country.
Should you do it and are there any danger to it?
We cannot tell you what you should do and how. The fact is that you will break the trust if you misuse the use of this application.
But, apart from that, there are other reasons you should consider, because damaging the trust isn’t the only issue that might arise.
Here are two potential risks.
1. Risk of leaking information
Just as you have access to information about your child, so do hackers. Often these applications, of course not all, are not secured against hacker attacks, so they cannot protect user data.
Therefore, if you do not choose an application that is as safe as possible to use, you risk putting yourself and your child in potential danger.
2. Risk of using an app from an unreliable developer
Check each company behind the app thoroughly. Why?
Keep in mind that every company has an interest in making as much profit as possible from one of its products. Therefore, they might choose higher earnings rather than the trust of clients. So your data and your child’s data can easily be found on the market.
Will it be abused? We can’t tell you that, but it’s up to us to warn you about this.
In order to make money, these applications use certain techniques every day, such as push notifications as much as possible, so that the user checks the app as often as possible and uses it.
Conclusion – Is it okay to track your kids’ phones?
As we’ve said – that’s for you to decide.
We’ve outlined all you need to think about. If you are not abusing the use of this application and you’re transparent about it with your kids, we believe there is nothing wrong with using it. But, then again, you also need to choose a good application in order to avoid potential problems.
Now, all that’s left is for you to decide!