Microprocessing
The Case Against Spying on Your Kids With Apps
Apps like Life360 promise peace of mind, but at what cost?
A user sought advice on Reddit’s “Am I the Asshole?” board: Were they wrong for refusing to comply with their parents’ demand that they install a location tracker on their phone?
“For a few years, I’ve been refusing to put a tracking app called Life360 on my phone, and my parents have grudgingly agreed since I’m always at home,” wrote the user in a now-deleted post.
The issue of parents using technology to spy on their teens is a growing issue: A majority of parents snoop on their kids’ digital lives in some way, according to the Pew Research Center. Apps like Life360 have become such a thorn in adolescents’ sides that they’re taking their issues to TikTok, offering advice on how to bypass the app’s surveillance and generally complaining and letting off steam. But by installing parental control apps on their kids’ phones, parents could be damaging their child’s trust in and relationship with the parent. They’re potentially hurting the child’s ability to navigate risk down the line. Ultimately, these apps may be more trouble than they’re worth.
They’re certainly not making the kids happy. Most of the Redditors agreed with the original poster…
