Should Parents Monitor Their Kids Online?

• Author: Accomando, Jim
• Position: Debate

Many parents keep tabs on their kids' online activity by following them on Snapchat or Instagram or by friending them on Facebook. But a recent survey found that some parents are going even further to keep digital track of their kids. According to the Pew Research Center, more than 60 percent of parents of teens have checked their kids' web history. Nearly half have looked through their kids' call logs or texts. And a third know the password to at least one of their kids' social media accounts. Is this kind of digital supervision-or as some call it, spying-a good idea? The president of a national parent-teacher group and a former president of a youth rights group weigh in.

YES

Technology and the internet provide kids with rich learning experiences and opportunities to practice skills they need to succeed. At the same time, young people's use of the internet can expose them to enormous risks and potential pitfalls. And the No. 1 responsibility of parents is to protect their kids. That includes talking to them about good digital habits, helping them develop the skills they need to be responsible and cyber-savvy, setting ground rules for technology use, and sometimes monitoring them.

Young people today have grown up with cutting-edge technology and constant connectivity. To them, it seems normal to share intimate details of their lives online. But we know what they post can have a lasting impact, including on future education and career opportunities. For example, colleges are increasingly reviewing applicants' social media profiles as part of their admissions process. This is why it's essential for families to have open, ongoing conversations about potential pitfalls and appropriate online etiquette, as well as for parents to actively participate in their children's digital life.

By monitoring their text messages, calls, social media, and web activity, parents can help their children be responsible, stay safe, and protect their online reputation and future. Monitoring also helps inform conversations on technology use.

Any monitoring needs to be part of an ongoing family dialogue about safety and privacy, active versus passive screen time, apps and downloads, texting, gaming, and social media use. It's also important to agree on healthy limits so everyone is on the same page and to revisit the conversation regularly as new devices and apps are released and children grow and mature.

And just as critical as discussing and supervising children's...