Regan Denny

Juniors Jessi Meyer and Isabel Russman show their tracking apps.

In a new age of technology, there are ways to do just about everything online or with a device. It’s now possible to open a phone with Face ID, talk to anyone from around the globe and even ask a question out loud and receive an answer. It’s also possible to track people.

With new technology everyday, there are new ways for parents to track their kids. Using apps such as Find My iPhone, Snapchat and Life360, parents now have the ability to constantly know where their kids are located. Life360 even allows parents to know how fast their kids are driving and where they are going. 

This all brings up the question about whether or not tracking apps are a good thing. On the more positive side, tracking apps allow parents’ reassurance about where their children are located at all times. They ensure that if someone’s child was kidnapped, they have a method of knowing where they are.

On the more negative side, apps like Snapchat —which let everyone know where a person is — can actually be a safety concern. It’s one thing if a parent can track their child but another if anyone can track them. 

Another issue that may be brought up about tracking apps is whether or not they are necessary. To teenagers, parents’ use of tracking apps can seem like an invasion of privacy and can demonstrate a lack of trust. 

Senior Carter Cline was upset about his parents using Life360. “It makes me mad with my parents because they weren’t tracked when they were younger. Now, helicopter parents attempt to control every little aspect of their kids’ lives through tracking,” he said. 

Cline thought the use of tracking apps can even damage trust between parents and their kids.. “It does make me feel like my parents don’t trust me,” he explained.

Cline pointed out the idea that people used to never be tracked because the technology for it didn’t exist yet. The rise of helicopter parents may be due to the increase in tracking apps.

With teenagers growing up in a world where technology is common, they often know their way around it better than their parents do. This means that teenagers and kids can maneuver ways to avoid being tracked by their parents altogether. 

Senior Grace Theilen’s parents use Find My iPhone and Life360 regularly. “There are a couple of ways around being tracked,” she said. 

Location tracking is not the only form of tracking for parents to use on their kids. With apps like Campus Portal, grades can be tracked as well, along with apps that notify parents about their child’s phone usage.

For parents who enjoy knowing a lot about their children, this new age of tracking and staying updated is a huge advantage for them. For teenagers, these apps can make it seem like they have no personal freedom. 

There is no certainty about whether apps like Life360 and Find My iPhone should be used to track kids. Teenagers can only hope that their parents choose to use them sparingly.