To what extent do parents have the right to "spy" on their children? What circumstances might allow or prevent this?
15 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Parents should have the right to know what their kids are up to but shouldn’t have the right to spy, at least not to an extent. If they notice that their kids are up to no good and notice a difference in them then they should spy on them just enough to make sure that nothing wrong is occurring. Otherwise parents shouldn’t spy on their kids, they shouldn’t follow them to school or follow them when they’r with their friends because kids should be able to have privacy. Last night I watched an episode of “George Lopez” and it was all about this specific question. A sixteen year old daughter was lying to her parents about going out with a boy when she wasn’t supposed to. Her parents read her diary and told her that the minute she lied to them she had lost all of her rights and had no reason to argue back. I agree with this part of the episode because if a child is constantly lying then the parents will have no other option but to spy on her and have no faith in her.
I think that parents should at least know what they’re children are up to but they shouldn’t spy on their kids. That’s just a violation of privacy if they spy on their kids. They I think how it should go is like this, if kids don’t want their parents to know what they are doing, but the parents want to know. Then I say leave the kids and let them do what they want, because then when they do get in trouble, hopefully they will learn from their mistakes and then listen to their parents and let their parents know where they are going at least so if something was to happen to them the parents can know where they are. But there are some parents who are just overprotective of their kids and won’t let them go anywhere or even hang out with friends, and if they eventually let their kids go somewhere they would spy on their kids. This eventually let their children start to rebel against them and go crazy, joining the wrong crazy and getting in all sorts of trouble. So to conclude, to no extent I think that parents should spy on their kids, but they do have the right to know where their kids are though and maybe what they are doing. Even if you may not like your parents for whatever reason, or you don’t like telling them what you are going to be doing, at least let them know where you are so they can contact you if anything was to happen to them or to you.
Task: To what extent do parents have the right to spy on their children? What circumstances might allow or prevent this?
Well there isn’t a right that exist that says parents can’t spy on their children but I do believe that it may be necessary in some cases, but in other cases it is unnecessary. The circumstances that can allow a parent to spy on their child could be one where they feel something’s wrong or where they see some sort of difference in their child but do not know what the cause may be of it. It is a fact that kids, especially teenagers, are not that comfortable in telling everything, and I mean EVERYTHING to their parents because just like there are limits of when to spy on your child there are limits on how honest you can be with a parent sometimes. It all ranges from whether you get along with your child and how well you get along. Another factor could be the trust that a parent may have in a child. So for example sometimes a parent can be very trust worthy of their child but still might feel some sort of skeptic feeling of whether they know everything about their child. So in the case of Emily who has a very good relationship with her mother and confides in her mother everything, her mom still feels unsatisfied and thinks something is wrong with her child because she skipped dinner. So Emily has a diary in which she writes in every night and her mom sneaks in her room and reads it to see why Emily skipped dinner. Now if we pause to analyze this situation you can maybe assume that maybe something is wrong with Emily because she skipped dinner or maybe it could’ve just been that Emily wasn’t in the mood for broccoli casserole or wasn’t hungry at all. So this is sometimes a parents mistake in spying because they may mal interpret the situation and unfortunately not every parent thinks her child is ok especially if she skips her dinner in this case. So Emily’s mom reads her diary and finds out that Emily is depressed and feels confused of what she is suppose to be in life. Now this is another situation where this instinct that Emily’s mom had was correct that something was wrong with her child. So in cases like this it is vital for a parent to spy on their child because even when we look ok we may not be. So I believe that in my opinion that even though spying can be successful at times it can be unsuccessful to where information can be misunderstood. So the suggestion that I would give is that instead of spying you should maybe come up with question that indirectly mean something else or bring up a topic to talk about that may help you see what the real problem is because spying can be successful but it can be a failure too, so spying wouldn’t be an option in every situation because it can confuse the observer to conclude something especially from teenagers because they are so very confusing. Trust me I would know.
I think that parents do not have the right to spy on their children. They should be able to trust their child. If a parent notice a change in the child like its behavior is not the same, the parent should confront their child first. Speak to them and tell them want you have observe or advice them, but do not commit espionage. Once you commit espionage I think that you are breaking your child trust by violating their privacy and by doing that you are pushing your child away from you instead of closer to you. I also think that if your child is lying to you eventually you will find out and then you can sets some ground rules and inform he/she that you will be checking up on her, and that you must know where she is at all times. Also tell him or her how you feel. I think that spying should no be in the picture at all and that it’s illegal for parents to do such a thing and I strongly disagree with it.
Even though I strongly disagree with it, but in some circumstances parents should spy on their child. For example if you know that your child is in trouble or in some what in danger then as a parent its your job to worry and find out what is going on. The number one thing is to not quickly assume things and go spy on your child, think twice about it and confront her.
First off, let's look at the definitions for the word spy (used w/ object):
1) To catch sight of suddenly.
2) To discover or find out by observation or scrutiny.
3) To observe secretively or furtively with hostile intent.
4) To inspect or examine or to search or look for closely or carefully.
I will refer back to these definitions by number in my journal entry.
Journal Entry
Depending on the circumstance, parents spying on their kids can be justified. However, I believe that in general parents should not have the right to spy on their children because they need to respect the privacy that their children have just as their children respect the privacy they have.
In many circumstances in which parents do spy on their children, it isn't with hostile intent like in definition 3, but more for a safety issue. Some parents believe that their kids may be concealing serious feelings from them that are unsafe and need to be adhered to such as thoughts of suicide, homicide, or drug use. For this reason, a parent might unlock a diary, or search around a child's room for hints alluding to these type of issues.
In other instances however, parents spying on their kids falls into the category of definition 1: pure curiousity. Sometimes, a parent will hear the tail-end of a conversation their kid is having with a friend, and the parent will become curious about the matter not for an issue of safety, but purely of their own volition. The parent then spys on the kid(s) and looks through their stuff for answers to satisfy their curiousity. The parents' action(s) in this case fall under definitions 2 and 4. To satisfy their curiousity, they usually have to observe their child's actions very closely, and examine their private business fairly throughly.
Personally, the fact that legitimate arguments can be made for both sides, is irrelevant to me. I think that parents should not spy on their kids at all. On a broader scope, I think that nobody should spy on anyone else. Quite frankly, I do not take kindly to those that meddle in affairs that do not concern them, and I tend to get irritated because I do not want my private affairs to be brought to light. I believe that no matter how sound a parent's intentions are, they should not spy on their child. Instead, they should provide good advice based on what they know if the child has a problem without prying questions, wild assumptions/accusations or intense interrogation.
to what extent do parents have the right to spy on there children?well i feel that there are boundries that parents shoulnt exceed as thier child grows. the reason why this is so is that your child needs room to grow and florish on their own. the parent who spys on thier children all the time are going to raise a kid who feels traped an untrusted by his or her parents.not to say spying in most cases isnt exceptable.if i were to think as a parent, i would suppose spying on your kid would be fine if you felt him or her are in some sort of trouble. but parents should never spy when there is no reason for it. it just makes your child feel guilty for no reason. unless they are doing something. in conclusion it is a parents right to be worry and overprotective.
Good parents are the ones who know everything that happens in their household. In order to be a good parent, trust must be one of the key establishments between the child/ren and themselves. Parents are the ones who are responsible for everything bad their child does, I believe they do have the right to spy on their child. But they donot have the right to make decisions in the life of the child when the child is mature enough to know the consequences. If the child has no control over their life, the parent has a right to decide what their perspective of what the right thing should be done. There are many ways to prevent this outcome where people fall so low and destroy their moralities. One way is for parents to instill trust in their child/ren and give he/she freedom and hope that the relationship will become an open one.
A lot of you point out that parents need to be keen observers of a child's behavior. If the child's behavior seems odd, or different from the norm, "spying," may be appropriate as some actions may be fatal. It's a hard line to walk on both sides and makes me wonder if Hamlet were my son, would I have done the same thing? The guy has been seen half-naked, sleep-deprived, wandering into Ophelia's chambers and muttering to himself. Seems as though SOMETHING is rotten in the state of Denmark. No?
Parents should not even have it in their mind to spy on their children. If this is necessary then it is obvious that the parent has not made his/herself the authority in the household. Instead of Spying parents should have a relationship with their children starting from when they are small, this relationship will let their children open up to them no matter what. These moments with their child will show the child that they always have a person to confess to and to speak to about anything. This relationship will make the heart of the son/daughter be as the heart of the father/mother. If parents truly have to spy on their kids this is fact that they have made a mistake in raising their child. This means that the parents dont trust the child; because the parents really dont know the child even though they have been with the child for so many years. Parents should teach their children respect and also respect their children.
The extent of a parents’ involvement on their child’s life should be left in the hands of that child. Everyone is entitled to their privacy and I think it is extremely rude to barge in someone’s space. One exception to my opinion is if the child is hiding something that is harmful for them of someone else. If you are spying on your child solely because you feel excluded in their life, I’m sorry but that’s not a good enough reason to jeopardize your child’s trust. In the play entitled Hamlet, Hamlets step father decides to send his childhood friends to spy on him. Just as we thought spying was deceiving enough, he sends Hamlets close friends to do it. With this case I personally believe King Claudius was not spying on Hamlet for Hamlets own safety. I believe he did it purely for selfish reasons such as trying to see why Hamlet is so eager to leave to London to attend school so he can stop him and make Hamlet stay to stand by him on the thrown.
Parents have every single right to be aware of the children’s actions. Even though I do not personally follow this preaching I see it from an outside perspective. A parent gave birth to their child and should protect their child at all costs. If this means reading and occasional e-mail or checking a kids social networking profile then that is within reason. As long as a parent(s) makes nothing of it, it is totally fine. If the child wishes to take about what their profiles, e-mails, etc. the its on the child’s behalf. The parent should not snoop, pry or try to influence the child’s actions. The child should have the chance to make their own decisions and learn for themselves. The parent should only intervene if the child is in harms way.
I don't believe parents have the right to "spy" on their children. I believe that they have the right to know what is going on in the life of their child, but i believe spying is a completely different act. kids should have a level of privacy and sometimes that level determines how much the child wants to be away from the house. sometimes i feel like i dont have enough privacy in my home but i am glad that my parents trust me enough, and know that i dont make stupid decisions which results in a happy relationship. the only way i think that a parent should spy on a child is if things are getting dangerous or hazardous to the child or others.
Manny and Matt, I'll keep this short as you guys are late on this assignment and most of the discussion has happened here on the blog already. However, it's interesting how much you two disagree with one another. This makes me think about that subway advertisement with the picture of the wallet? Is it an opportunity, an obligation or... can't remember the third. Values. Humph.
15 comments:
Parents should have the right to know what their kids are up to but shouldn’t have the right to spy, at least not to an extent. If they notice that their kids are up to no good and notice a difference in them then they should spy on them just enough to make sure that nothing wrong is occurring. Otherwise parents shouldn’t spy on their kids, they shouldn’t follow them to school or follow them when they’r with their friends because kids should be able to have privacy. Last night I watched an episode of “George Lopez” and it was all about this specific question. A sixteen year old daughter was lying to her parents about going out with a boy when she wasn’t supposed to. Her parents read her diary and told her that the minute she lied to them she had lost all of her rights and had no reason to argue back. I agree with this part of the episode because if a child is constantly lying then the parents will have no other option but to spy on her and have no faith in her.
I think that parents should at least know what they’re children are up to but they shouldn’t spy on their kids. That’s just a violation of privacy if they spy on their kids. They I think how it should go is like this, if kids don’t want their parents to know what they are doing, but the parents want to know. Then I say leave the kids and let them do what they want, because then when they do get in trouble, hopefully they will learn from their mistakes and then listen to their parents and let their parents know where they are going at least so if something was to happen to them the parents can know where they are. But there are some parents who are just overprotective of their kids and won’t let them go anywhere or even hang out with friends, and if they eventually let their kids go somewhere they would spy on their kids. This eventually let their children start to rebel against them and go crazy, joining the wrong crazy and getting in all sorts of trouble. So to conclude, to no extent I think that parents should spy on their kids, but they do have the right to know where their kids are though and maybe what they are doing. Even if you may not like your parents for whatever reason, or you don’t like telling them what you are going to be doing, at least let them know where you are so they can contact you if anything was to happen to them or to you.
Journal Entry #2
Task: To what extent do parents have the right to spy on their children? What circumstances might allow or prevent this?
Well there isn’t a right that exist that says parents can’t spy on their children but I do believe that it may be necessary in some cases, but in other cases it is unnecessary. The circumstances that can allow a parent to spy on their child could be one where they feel something’s wrong or where they see some sort of difference in their child but do not know what the cause may be of it.
It is a fact that kids, especially teenagers, are not that comfortable in telling everything, and I mean EVERYTHING to their parents because just like there are limits of when to spy on your child there are limits on how honest you can be with a parent sometimes. It all ranges from whether you get along with your child and how well you get along. Another factor could be the trust that a parent may have in a child.
So for example sometimes a parent can be very trust worthy of their child but still might feel some sort of skeptic feeling of whether they know everything about their child. So in the case of Emily who has a very good relationship with her mother and confides in her mother everything, her mom still feels unsatisfied and thinks something is wrong with her child because she skipped dinner. So Emily has a diary in which she writes in every night and her mom sneaks in her room and reads it to see why Emily skipped dinner.
Now if we pause to analyze this situation you can maybe assume that maybe something is wrong with Emily because she skipped dinner or maybe it could’ve just been that Emily wasn’t in the mood for broccoli casserole or wasn’t hungry at all. So this is sometimes a parents mistake in spying because they may mal interpret the situation and unfortunately not every parent thinks her child is ok especially if she skips her dinner in this case. So Emily’s mom reads her diary and finds out that Emily is depressed and feels confused of what she is suppose to be in life. Now this is another situation where this instinct that Emily’s mom had was correct that something was wrong with her child.
So in cases like this it is vital for a parent to spy on their child because even when we look ok we may not be. So I believe that in my opinion that even though spying can be successful at times it can be unsuccessful to where information can be misunderstood.
So the suggestion that I would give is that instead of spying you should maybe come up with question that indirectly mean something else or bring up a topic to talk about that may help you see what the real problem is because spying can be successful but it can be a failure too, so spying wouldn’t be an option in every situation because it can confuse the observer to conclude something especially from teenagers because they are so very confusing. Trust me I would know.
I think that parents do not have the right to spy on their children. They should be able to trust their child. If a parent notice a change in the child like its behavior is not the same, the parent should confront their child first. Speak to them and tell them want you have observe or advice them, but do not commit espionage. Once you commit espionage I think that you are breaking your child trust by violating their privacy and by doing that you are pushing your child away from you instead of closer to you. I also think that if your child is lying to you eventually you will find out and then you can sets some ground rules and inform he/she that you will be checking up on her, and that you must know where she is at all times. Also tell him or her how you feel. I think that spying should no be in the picture at all and that it’s illegal for parents to do such a thing and I strongly disagree with it.
Even though I strongly disagree with it, but in some circumstances parents should spy on their child. For example if you know that your child is in trouble or in some what in danger then as a parent its your job to worry and find out what is going on. The number one thing is to not quickly assume things and go spy on your child, think twice about it and confront her.
First off, let's look at the definitions for the word spy (used w/ object):
1) To catch sight of suddenly.
2) To discover or find out by observation or scrutiny.
3) To observe secretively or furtively with hostile intent.
4) To inspect or examine or to search or look for closely or carefully.
I will refer back to these definitions by number in my journal entry.
Journal Entry
Depending on the circumstance, parents spying on their kids can be justified. However, I believe that in general parents should not have the right to spy on their children because they need to respect the privacy that their children have just as their children respect the privacy they have.
In many circumstances in which parents do spy on their children, it isn't with hostile intent like in definition 3, but more for a safety issue. Some parents believe that their kids may be concealing serious feelings from them that are unsafe and need to be adhered to such as thoughts of suicide, homicide, or drug use. For this reason, a parent might unlock a diary, or search around a child's room for hints alluding to these type of issues.
In other instances however, parents spying on their kids falls into the category of definition 1: pure curiousity. Sometimes, a parent will hear the tail-end of a conversation their kid is having with a friend, and the parent will become curious about the matter not for an issue of safety, but purely of their own volition. The parent then spys on the kid(s) and looks through their stuff for answers to satisfy their curiousity. The parents' action(s) in this case fall under definitions 2 and 4. To satisfy their curiousity, they usually have to observe their child's actions very closely, and examine their private business fairly throughly.
Personally, the fact that legitimate arguments can be made for both sides, is irrelevant to me. I think that parents should not spy on their kids at all. On a broader scope, I think that nobody should spy on anyone else. Quite frankly, I do not take kindly to those that meddle in affairs that do not concern them, and I tend to get irritated because I do not want my private affairs to be brought to light. I believe that no matter how sound a parent's intentions are, they should not spy on their child. Instead, they should provide good advice based on what they know if the child has a problem without prying questions, wild assumptions/accusations or intense interrogation.
to what extent do parents have the right to spy on there children?well i feel that there are boundries that parents shoulnt exceed as thier child grows. the reason why this is so is that your child needs room to grow and florish on their own. the parent who spys on thier children all the time are going to raise a kid who feels traped an untrusted by his or her parents.not to say spying in most cases isnt exceptable.if i were to think as a parent, i would suppose spying on your kid would be fine if you felt him or her are in some sort of trouble. but parents should never spy when there is no reason for it. it just makes your child feel guilty for no reason. unless they are doing something. in conclusion it is a parents right to be worry and overprotective.
ESTEFANY FRIAS
Good parents are the ones who know everything that happens in their household. In order to be a good parent, trust must be one of the key establishments between the child/ren and themselves. Parents are the ones who are responsible for everything bad their child does, I believe they do have the right to spy on their child. But they donot have the right to make decisions in the life of the child when the child is mature enough to know the consequences. If the child has no control over their life, the parent has a right to decide what their perspective of what the right thing should be done.
There are many ways to prevent this outcome where people fall so low and destroy their moralities. One way is for parents to instill trust in their child/ren and give he/she freedom and hope that the relationship will become an open one.
A lot of you point out that parents need to be keen observers of a child's behavior. If the child's behavior seems odd, or different from the norm, "spying," may be appropriate as some actions may be fatal. It's a hard line to walk on both sides and makes me wonder if Hamlet were my son, would I have done the same thing? The guy has been seen half-naked, sleep-deprived, wandering into Ophelia's chambers and muttering to himself. Seems as though SOMETHING is rotten in the state of Denmark. No?
Parents should not even have it in their mind to spy on their children. If this is necessary then it is obvious that the parent has not made his/herself the authority in the household. Instead of Spying parents should have a relationship with their children starting from when they are small, this relationship will let their children open up to them no matter what. These moments with their child will show the child that they always have a person to confess to and to speak to about anything. This relationship will make the heart of the son/daughter be as the heart of the father/mother. If parents truly have to spy on their kids this is fact that they have made a mistake in raising their child. This means that the parents dont trust the child; because the parents really dont know the child even though they have been with the child for so many years. Parents should teach their children respect and also respect their children.
Wow Frank! I think you will make a great dad. Polonius, on the other hand, well...
The extent of a parents’ involvement on their child’s life should be left in the hands of that child. Everyone is entitled to their privacy and I think it is extremely rude to barge in someone’s space. One exception to my opinion is if the child is hiding something that is harmful for them of someone else. If you are spying on your child solely because you feel excluded in their life, I’m sorry but that’s not a good enough reason to jeopardize your child’s trust. In the play entitled Hamlet, Hamlets step father decides to send his childhood friends to spy on him. Just as we thought spying was deceiving enough, he sends Hamlets close friends to do it. With this case I personally believe King Claudius was not spying on Hamlet for Hamlets own safety. I believe he did it purely for selfish reasons such as trying to see why Hamlet is so eager to leave to London to attend school so he can stop him and make Hamlet stay to stand by him on the thrown.
Parents have every single right to be aware of the children’s actions. Even though I do not personally follow this preaching I see it from an outside perspective. A parent gave birth to their child and should protect their child at all costs. If this means reading and occasional e-mail or checking a kids social networking profile then that is within reason. As long as a parent(s) makes nothing of it, it is totally fine. If the child wishes to take about what their profiles, e-mails, etc. the its on the child’s behalf. The parent should not snoop, pry or try to influence the child’s actions. The child should have the chance to make their own decisions and learn for themselves. The parent should only intervene if the child is in harms way.
I don't believe parents have the right to "spy" on their children. I believe that they have the right to know what is going on in the life of their child, but i believe spying is a completely different act. kids should have a level of privacy and sometimes that level determines how much the child wants to be away from the house. sometimes i feel like i dont have enough privacy in my home but i am glad that my parents trust me enough, and know that i dont make stupid decisions which results in a happy relationship. the only way i think that a parent should spy on a child is if things are getting dangerous or hazardous to the child or others.
Manny and Matt, I'll keep this short as you guys are late on this assignment and most of the discussion has happened here on the blog already. However, it's interesting how much you two disagree with one another. This makes me think about that subway advertisement with the picture of the wallet? Is it an opportunity, an obligation or... can't remember the third. Values. Humph.
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