Shatha Hakami
12/03/2013
In "More Parents Going High-Tech to Track Kids," Martha Irvine reports that these days, parents are being very careful about their children's lives outside their houses, and observes that parents are using high-tech devices and services to accomplish this goal. Irvine describes cell phones as a tool parents can use to be aware of every detail about where and what their children are doing outside, and even whether or not they attend school. She also mentions that parents are not only using cell phones to control their children's movements, but also using their credit cards to find out what type of food their children are buying and eating. She illustrates different point of views about this new technological issue among parents in U.S and U.K, and the reaction of some children towards controlling their lives. Irvine supports her article with a variety of examples of parents who found this technology such a helpful one to control their children movements in order to protect them as well as she mentions an expert point of view. Finally, Irvine concludes by observing that parents differ in their concepts of the ideal ways of protection they can offer to their children. In fact, using high-technology devices to protect children facilitated the parents' task of raising their children in two major ways: providing protection, and strengthening the relationship.
Using high- technology devices such as cell phones to be aware of where and what children are doing is a great, useful, and helpful idea parents must consider when choosing how to raise their children. To begin with, high-tech monitoring can allow parents to provide immediate assistance in emergencies. Irvine interviews one teenage girl, Ciarra Schmidt, who says that her father’s tracking gives her "a nice kind of security blanket." Irvine also refers to Jack Church, a Teen Arrive Alive spokesman who has lost his son in a car accident and says, "Spying on kids is not the motive. As much as (my son) protests and hates it, we are the only parents who know what's going on." Clearly, parents care is the motivation which could pushes them to protect their children from a risk that might happen like to be kidnaped, or to be in a car accident. Additionally, using high-tech monitoring not only allows parents to protect children from risks, but also help them give assistance when children get lost. In such a big country, children may get lost when going to visit a friend, attending a party, or even going to school. Hence, a parents' job is to provide to their children as much assistance and the feeling of safety as they can. Therefore, when a child gets lost, he will feel safe because his parents know where he is, and can give him the appropriate help. Children may not understand the benefits of giving such a big amount of care and protection, but they may appreciate it when they are in serious situations and conditions.
Moreover, high-tech devices play a significant role in strengthening the relationship between parents and children. When parents use their cell phones to track children, they should make it clear to them that they are doing so to protect them not to spy on them as Jack's Church situation shows importance. As a result, children might feel the love and the care of their parents towards them, and will appreciate the efforts their parents are making for them. This clarification will strengthen the relationship between parents and children. Moreover, when parents explain the purpose of using this kind of protection, that will strengthen the relationship, so a child may know that this is done for him for his benefit not to control his freedom. As a result, he will be certain that he is living in a safety environment. In addition, when parents ask about a child's opinion, and share the idea and the decision with him, the child may feel that he is choosing the way he wants to be protected. Therefore, when children feel that they are involved in the parent's decisions, especially the ones that have to be made together, they may be more objective about the tracking, and be able to see the positive side of it. Consequently, parents can protect their children as well as building a good relationship with them.
Parents must be fully aware that using high-tech to protect children doesn't guarantee that they will avoid all mistakes since mistakes and the learning that comes from them is natural and required parts of growing up. "Parents shouldn't fool themselves into thinking that they can keep their kids from making mistakes, which is part of growing up and learning," Says Buchanan, who is working on multiyear study of teens and parents. Actually, she has a point. Nonetheless, parents must put boundaries around their children's mistakes. In fact, the most important parent's role is to keep up with every wrong choice a child makes, and help him by punishing him, showing him how to recognize and fix his mistakes, and helping him see that it must not happen again. In this way, he can earn the trust his parents give him. Therefore, parents are not fooling themselves; rather, they are taking into consideration all the reasons to protect their children, and put boundaries around the mistakes they are aware their children might make.
In sum, using high-tech devices helps parents keep tracking their children as well as strengthening the bonds among them. The most important thing, however, is to balance between care and excessive cautious. Finally, parents must think wisely in their relationship with their children.
12/03/2013
In "More Parents Going High-Tech to Track Kids," Martha Irvine reports that these days, parents are being very careful about their children's lives outside their houses, and observes that parents are using high-tech devices and services to accomplish this goal. Irvine describes cell phones as a tool parents can use to be aware of every detail about where and what their children are doing outside, and even whether or not they attend school. She also mentions that parents are not only using cell phones to control their children's movements, but also using their credit cards to find out what type of food their children are buying and eating. She illustrates different point of views about this new technological issue among parents in U.S and U.K, and the reaction of some children towards controlling their lives. Irvine supports her article with a variety of examples of parents who found this technology such a helpful one to control their children movements in order to protect them as well as she mentions an expert point of view. Finally, Irvine concludes by observing that parents differ in their concepts of the ideal ways of protection they can offer to their children. In fact, using high-technology devices to protect children facilitated the parents' task of raising their children in two major ways: providing protection, and strengthening the relationship.
Using high- technology devices such as cell phones to be aware of where and what children are doing is a great, useful, and helpful idea parents must consider when choosing how to raise their children. To begin with, high-tech monitoring can allow parents to provide immediate assistance in emergencies. Irvine interviews one teenage girl, Ciarra Schmidt, who says that her father’s tracking gives her "a nice kind of security blanket." Irvine also refers to Jack Church, a Teen Arrive Alive spokesman who has lost his son in a car accident and says, "Spying on kids is not the motive. As much as (my son) protests and hates it, we are the only parents who know what's going on." Clearly, parents care is the motivation which could pushes them to protect their children from a risk that might happen like to be kidnaped, or to be in a car accident. Additionally, using high-tech monitoring not only allows parents to protect children from risks, but also help them give assistance when children get lost. In such a big country, children may get lost when going to visit a friend, attending a party, or even going to school. Hence, a parents' job is to provide to their children as much assistance and the feeling of safety as they can. Therefore, when a child gets lost, he will feel safe because his parents know where he is, and can give him the appropriate help. Children may not understand the benefits of giving such a big amount of care and protection, but they may appreciate it when they are in serious situations and conditions.
Moreover, high-tech devices play a significant role in strengthening the relationship between parents and children. When parents use their cell phones to track children, they should make it clear to them that they are doing so to protect them not to spy on them as Jack's Church situation shows importance. As a result, children might feel the love and the care of their parents towards them, and will appreciate the efforts their parents are making for them. This clarification will strengthen the relationship between parents and children. Moreover, when parents explain the purpose of using this kind of protection, that will strengthen the relationship, so a child may know that this is done for him for his benefit not to control his freedom. As a result, he will be certain that he is living in a safety environment. In addition, when parents ask about a child's opinion, and share the idea and the decision with him, the child may feel that he is choosing the way he wants to be protected. Therefore, when children feel that they are involved in the parent's decisions, especially the ones that have to be made together, they may be more objective about the tracking, and be able to see the positive side of it. Consequently, parents can protect their children as well as building a good relationship with them.
Parents must be fully aware that using high-tech to protect children doesn't guarantee that they will avoid all mistakes since mistakes and the learning that comes from them is natural and required parts of growing up. "Parents shouldn't fool themselves into thinking that they can keep their kids from making mistakes, which is part of growing up and learning," Says Buchanan, who is working on multiyear study of teens and parents. Actually, she has a point. Nonetheless, parents must put boundaries around their children's mistakes. In fact, the most important parent's role is to keep up with every wrong choice a child makes, and help him by punishing him, showing him how to recognize and fix his mistakes, and helping him see that it must not happen again. In this way, he can earn the trust his parents give him. Therefore, parents are not fooling themselves; rather, they are taking into consideration all the reasons to protect their children, and put boundaries around the mistakes they are aware their children might make.
In sum, using high-tech devices helps parents keep tracking their children as well as strengthening the bonds among them. The most important thing, however, is to balance between care and excessive cautious. Finally, parents must think wisely in their relationship with their children.