A heated discussion on child privacy broke out in a Facebook Marketing lecture for business owners that I attended. One woman stated that she reads all of her son’s Facebook/My Space postings along with all of his email. At that point, another attendee jumped up and strongly suggested that what the mother was doing was appalling and a violation of the child’s privacy. Folks started spouting out their own beliefs left and right while the lecturer tried to corral the exchange back on topic.
I tried to soak up both sides of the argument. My children are too young to be online, own a cell phone, or walk to a friend’s house unattended just yet; but I know the time is coming and I’m not sure where I stand when it comes to their privacy in this extremely connected world.
How much privacy should a child be granted? How much does trusting a child to make good decisions lead to them being an adult who can think on their own? I just read an article about Verizon’s Family Locator program that allows you to GPS-track your child and get texts sent to your phone when they go in or out of set geographical zones. I hear it’s just as easy to have hidden GPS installed on a teen’s car (see the Hulk Hogan reality show). With ample ways to snoop on my lads’ activities, how much is warranted?
I know times have changed from my small city upbringing. Social networking sites, “sex”ting, instant-message-bashing, and email battles are waiting for my sons debuts. Is it more ethical or does it make a difference if your child knows that you’re snooping on all of their activities? What type of code-words would I, as a teenager, have developed with my friends if I knew my parents were listening in on every phone conversation and reading the notes that I passed during English class? For the one parent that was paying attention to our on-goings in highschool, we had plenty of “buyable” stories that still let us explore our teenage curiosities.
I would love to know your opinions. What do you plan to do or are doing to keep your child’s body and mind protected in this connected world?
by Lena Cox, aka MomOfSuperheroes
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