Trusting or tracking?

The+notification+pops+up+on+parents+phones.+Their+child+arrived+or+left+their+destination.

Photo by: Alexis Griffey

The notification pops up on parent’s phones. Their child arrived or left their destination.

Alexis Griffey, Reporter

Alexis is now home. The notification of my arrival appears on my mother’s phone every time I get to my destination. Let me re-phrase that. My INTENDED destination. After all, what even is the point of lying where I am going? I pretty much can be found in four places: home, school, work, and my friend’s house. She knows where I am going because I tell her. Not to sound self-conceded, but I am pretty good kid. I do what I am told, when I am told. I hardly ever lie (Oh come on. A white lie every once in a while is not that bad!), and I especially do not lie about where I am going because I know my safety is important to her and I. So, why does she need to track my every move?

A couple weeks ago, my mom told me she heard from some other mothers about an app called Life360, which can track where you are at all times through your phone. Not only can it do this, it can also relay how fast you went when you are driving and your phone battery, to give the tracker the reason why the phone cannot be tracked anymore. And, of course, she made me download it the next day.

Life360 is a TOTAL invasion of privacy. When our parents were younger, there was not this type of technology. When they left the house at our ages, their parents had to trust they were actually going where they said they were. Why can’t this trust-worthy bond continue to survive in this day-in-age with the modern technology we have? Life360 and other technologies like this should be stopped.

Personally, I just do not understand why she feels I need this app on my phone. It does make sense she wants me to drive properly and not hurt myself, but this is something beyond the app’s control.

The tracking is extremely over-protective. Helicopter parent much? I will be leaving for college soon and becoming a legal adult in four months. She should to learn to trust me to be the person she taught me to be. Soon, it will not be up to her what my weekend plans are and who I hang out with. All of which circles back to the topic of trust and letting me go, without tracking me.