Should Parents Be Allowed to Use Tracking Apps to Monitor Their Teens Location?  

Day by day parents are faced with so many issues while trying to keep their kids safe. Causing them to rely on using apps and technology like Life360, find my iPhone, and Apple Watches to know where their teens are at all times. These apps can give parents a sense of security and control that wouldn't be there without tracking their kids' location. This is becoming increasingly popular, which has led to debates on whether or not it's a good tool for ensuring safety or leading to more secretive and rebellious teens. While there are some people who do believe this way of keeping tabs on your teens is enhancing safety and can even strengthen the parent-teen relationship, there are those who argue that it takes away privacy, leads to sneaking around, and creates mistrust. The major question comes down to whether or not parents should be able to have this kind of tool to help track their teens consistently. Could this be done responsibly without constant surveillance? Both sides have their own strong opinions on which is safer, but parents should still be very careful when deciding whether or not to start tracking their child.  

Perspective #1: Positive Perspective

Research done by Burnell et al. in 2023 argue the benefits of parents being able to track their teens at all times, and the study had positive outcomes. For this study, there were 700 teens and their parents that were all surveyed. The results showed almost half of the parents were monitoring their teen's location using apps and other sorts of location tracking tools. One of the major reasons why some of the teens believed that this was not considered controlling for them was because of supportive parenting. Not being a supportive parent and then also asking for your kids' location all the time can lead to feelings of invasion of privacy and can make them feel like it's not just for ensuring cooperation and concern but more about having control. The authors wrote, “If parents have realistic safety concerns for their child, it may be fruitful to clearly and warmly communicate these concerns to them, and how digital location tracking may allow an adolescent to have greater freedom” (Burnell et al.). This means that parents must use location tracking only with supportive parenting. Choosing to only track their child for supportive reasons allows teens to be independent all while their parents can have a tool to check in on them without doing anything unwanted. The idea of tracking your teen is about knowing where your child is at so if there is anything bad going on, you can help prevent situations that are risky or unsafe, like underage drinking. Burnell et al. states, “The reasoning that parents communicate for tracking, and how this communication unfolds, may matter more than the tracking behavior itself” (Burnell et al.). When tracking apps are used responsibly by explaining to the teen what the app is and how it will help with their growth to become more independent, their safety will not be at risk, and they won't feel like tracking apps are such invasive tools.  

Perspective 2:  Negative Perspective

Sara Novak (2024) however has a different idea on this. Novak explains how constantly monitoring your teen's location can ruin the parent-teen relationship and can even cause loss of trust in one another. It gives parents a sense of security, but their teens are feeling more restricted, and it can make them feel as if they have less freedom. Novak cites Megan Rumney, a mother who uses location monitoring apps to keep track of her child on an Apple watch; Rumney says that “Tracking has become a burden of sorts” (Novak). This sense of burden reflects how constant monitoring is able to cause emotional stress that affects both parents and teens. Recent research supports this idea, showing that while tracking can help interfere with unsafe situations on a daily basis, it has shown an increased risk for mental health issues and depression. A major issue like this can lead to more problems, “This stage if seeking Independence during the teen years remains crucial for them to fostering a sense of personal responsibility, learning their own decisions and establishing their own system of values” (Novak). Novak explains that many teens think their parents have gone too far with location tracking and should prioritize open conversations that help build trust, so teens can comfortably be honest. “If you do choose to use location apps, you should also have regular open conversations with your teen around expectations” (Novak). If a parent and their child sit and have an open conversation about the things they should and should not do or what is expected of them, then it can help avoid damaging the bond. Without any sort of communication though things like lying, distance and being secretive will most likely start to happen.  

Similarities and differences:  

Both of these articles mentioned how safety is super important; that is something Novak and Burnell agree on. Burnell et al. mentions that tracking can increase the amount of freedom a teenager has but only when done properly and talked through between both the parent and the teen: “If parents have realistic safety concerns for their child, it may be fruitful to clearly and warmly communicate these concerns to them, and how digital location tracking may allow an adolescent to have greater freedom” (Burnell et al). Novak agrees with Burnell et al. By saying, “If you choose to use location apps, you should also have regular open conversations” (Novak). Both articles emphasize the techniques used in tracking matter more than the tracking itself; it all depends on how the parents choose to carry it out. What really sets these articles apart is In Brunell's article; it suggests more that location tracking is a tool that can help support independence and safety, while Novak sees it as a greater risk to independence and freedom if not done carefully. Both authors agree that the bond between the parent and teen is what decides whether it's “good” or “bad”, since that's up to the way it is used. When done properly, there shouldn't be any sort of emotional distance or rebellion because the teen understands their parents' concern for their safety, which helps them see it not as just control.  

Strengths and weaknesses: 

In Novak’s argument, the strongest part is the real-life examples used. They are super powerful and explain the worry of the parents and the entire thought process; she stands a lot for teens having more control over their own life. The weakness of Novak’s argument is that there isn't enough acknowledgement of the safety benefits of location tracking when it is done carefully. Burnell et al. has an argument that is strong because of the in-depth explanations on how tracking is still part of teenager independence, but there isn't enough information about any of the emotional effects since it's mostly a survey-based argument. 

Compromise: 

The most effective solution to all of this is for parents to use location tracking apps responsibly to

ensure their teenagers' safety as well as keeping open communication to gain trust.  Constantly tracking a teenager can end up becoming toxic without the responsible parenting style. Teens can end up thinking that they aren't able to do anything on their own and it leads them to believe that their parents don't have trust in their decision making. On the other hand, parents who do allow a greater level of independence can get that sense of security and keep their bond strong. Being open about why you are deciding to monitor your kid has a huge impact on the outcomes, so parents should use tracking tools as a way to keep their kids safe, not control every move that's being monitored. The key to this situation is finding that middle ground because balance is what makes or breaks these tools. 

Work Cited  

Burnell, Kaitlyn, et al. “Digital Location Tracking: A Preliminary Investigation of Parents’ Use of Digital Technology to Monitor Their Adolescent’s Location.” Journal of Family Psychology, vol. 37, no. 4, 6 Mar. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0001067. 

Novak, Sara. “How GPS Tracking of Teens 24/7 Impacts Parent-Child Relationships.” Scientific American, 18 Oct. 2024, www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-gps-tracking-of-teens-24-7-impacts-parent-child-relationships/.