Balancing Trust and Protection: Spyware Dilemma in Parenting

To be honest, I have mixed emotions when it comes to parents installing spyware on their child’s computer. I think there are many pros and cons to each choice, which is why I have such mixed views. I grew up in a Christian home, where my father was one of the pastors at our church. So, you can imagine how conservative my upbringing was, and how much my parents sheltered me from many of the dangers of this world. I always had a TV in my room, my own computer, and a cellphone, starting at the age of 11.

My parents never once asked me what I was watching, or who I was texting, or what sites I was visiting on the internet. I truly believe that they trusted their parenting and guidance enough to know that I wouldn’t do anything I wasn’t supposed to do. I am now 20 years old, and my parents still have never installed spyware on my devices, or read through my phone.

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I appreciated their trust in me so much. After all, to this day, they would not be disappointed if they did end up checking on me. I plan on raising and treating my children the same way my parents raised and treated me.

Now, on the other side of the argument, I do believe that a parent has every right in the world to install spyware on their children’s devices, with or without them knowing. Every day this world becomes more and more dangerous, and a parent should be proactive in protecting their child in every way they can.

I believe that if a child is still living under the roof of their parents, those parents have the right to protect their child, however they chose.

Works Cited

Cobe, Harlan. “The Undercover Parent.” New York Times March 16, 2008.