Should parents track their kids? Readers give a tentative yes. (2024)

Readers Say

An increasing number of parents are tracking their children's locations. That doesn't mean they feel good about it.

By Zipporah Osei

October 25, 2023

Parents worry about their children — that’s nothing new. What is new is their ability to alleviate some of that anxiety with 24/7 supervision. For parents who want to keep a close eye, there are already a number of products on the market.

There’s Find My for children old enough to have a smartphone and the Gizmo watch for those who aren’t. Life360, the family tracking app, makes it so easy for parents to keep tabs that more than 50 million people are doing just that every day.

Add to that list TreasureTrace, a new company started by Franklin mom Clarissa Guyton. Her company sells children’s underwear with an extra pocket for a tracking device so your young child can stay safe without losing or damaging their tracker.

Malwarebytes, a cybersecurity company, ran a survey that found that 84% of parents use some form of electronic monitoring for their children and 36% hadn’t told their child they were doing so. In 2018, a Pew Research Center survey found that just 16% of parents were using tech to track their children’s location.

We asked Boston.com readers how they feel about parents tracking their children’s location and though the responses were mixed, most of the 147 people polled said it was okay depending on the age of the child. Thirty-five percent of readers said they were firmly against tracking children’s locations and another 24% saw no issue with it.

Of the 117 parents who responded to our poll, 38% said they track their own children. Many in that group said it was simply “good parenting.”

“Today’s world is uncharted waters,” said a reader from New Bedford. “Tracking is non-invasive while protecting your family.”

Many readers said it was a good idea for children to have someone watching out for them, but worried that parents would go overboard and use location tracking services for discipline or privacy invasions instead of safety.

“How do you build trust in your relationship with your children if you are tracking their every move?” Celeste H. from Boston asked. She added that technology shouldn’t take the place of active parenting.

“How do they learn autonomy and the ability to make decisions of their own free will with you looking over their shoulder with every step they take? Technology is no substitution for actually putting in the effort to raise a healthy, well-rounded child with the self-esteem needed to grow and the trust and support of a loving parent,” she said.

Guyton, the TreasureTrace founder, knows that not every parent is going to be on board with surveilling their child. The important thing is to have the option for those who do.

“With a teenager, it’s more of a conversation if you want to track them,” she told Boston.com. “ … Your 2-year-old, your 3-year-old, that, in my mind, is more straightforward. I’m just trying to make sure they don’t wander off and make sure I am able to keep an eye on what’s going on with them.”

Below you’ll find a sampling of responses from readers sharing their thoughts on tracking children’s location.

Some responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

Should parents track their children?

‘It depends on age and degree of impulsivity’

“I would say it may be appropriate for grade school kids of first to fifth grade, but past that age range it’s a bit stalkerish, in my opinion.” — Henry, Cambridge

“We’ve got trackers on most other things we value, so why not your child? Not as a spy device but as a safety measure.” — D.B.A, Walpole

“Mostly a step too far but it depends on age and degree of impulsivity. There might be a need to keep tabs [on] a gullible kid, a too trusting child, perhaps a child prone to being a target of bullying.” — P. Lyne, Alfred

“Tracking young children is fine but once they hit their teen years it is an invasion of privacy. Be a better parent and talk to your kids.” — Anonymous reader

‘Tracking your kids everywhere is truly Orwellian’

“I learned the most valuable lessons about what NOT to do as a teenager by lying to my parents as to my whereabouts. Eventually, kids who are tracked their entire lives will be free having never had the opportunity to be stupid in relatively far more safe scenarios. This concept of tracking your kids everywhere is truly Orwellian and rife with unintended consequences.” — Sean P., New Hampshire

“It’s overkill and leads to many teens who can’t be self-sufficient, independent-minded, and careful risk-takers. As a teacher, I see more and more how helpless and lost kids are getting, always tied to and relying on their parents.” — Anonymous reader

“Too much, we have trained kids that it is okay to be watched and monitored 24/7. Parents and children need to separate and have independent lives. It has to happen sooner or later.” — Kathryn C., Springfield

“It creates anxiety about a very low-risk possibility. Just be responsible parents and know where your young children are at all times.” — Barbara B., Franklin

‘I would have no problem tracking my child’

“Tracking your child is a good idea regardless of being a minor or not. I feel it’s a need-to-know basis. Parents may feel they have great communication with their kids, but it only takes a one-time event to break that trust if your child lies to you as a parent.” — Nancy, Fall River

“My 12-year-old takes the commuter rail…every day. His rail pass gives him access to the entire T. I track his phone and there is a tag on his backpack.” — Josh, Cohasset

“The world is nuts. Social media is a big part of a child’s life. Who are they socializing with on social media? Are they going to meet up with a stranger? He or she is my child. I am responsible for my child. I would have no problem tracking my child.” — Ginny M., Nantucket

“It’s like not letting them play in the street. Same as putting up a fence. It’s good parenting.” — Pat, Connecticut

Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.