Children vs Adults: Same privacy rights?

Children and adults should not have the same right to privacy, but children should have more privacy than most do. Adults often use apps like Life360 to see where you are, go through your phone, which is not okay. They should take a less extreme approach to breaching their child’s privacy, as it will be easier to gain trust.

When I got my first device in middle school, I remember my dad and step-mom telling me they would look through it whenever they felt the need to. Although I had nothing to hide, that is a complete breach of privacy. I don’t think it’s right for people to look through your texts, photos, etc. I’m sure many other children have gone through this, and I don’t think it’s okay for parents to do things like this. A better solution would be to have a talk with your child about what is and isn’t okay online, and the importance of being safe.

One thing I haven’t gone through but I know many children have, is being stalked on the app Life360. I understand some parents may be concerned about where their child may be, and that okay, but I don’t think using an app to stalk is okay. A better solution to this would be to text your child and ask them, and trust that they are being honest with you. Parents should always trust their child, even if they aren’t being honest. I believe stalking and not trusting your child will only make things worse, as they will find a way to lie and hide things.

I understand why parents will have many concerns about their child, but I think they sometimes take the wrong approach to it. Should children have the same right to privacy that adults do? The answer is no. But, some parents are too extreme with breaching their child’s privacy, and doing so will only make them worse and hide more.

Featured Image: “Berlin Wall” by AbhijeetRane is licensed under CC BY 2.0.