Should Parents Use Spy Apps on Their Child's mobile?

We are living in digital times today and that is one reason why using spy apps on their child’s mobile has become essential for parents. These apps let parents to track their child’s location history, read their messages and monitor their online activities that let them understand their behavior and patterns better. While some parents argue that these mobile spy apps are necessary for a child’s safety, others believe that these tools are an invasion of privacy. 

The debate on whether parents should use spy apps on their child’s phone is a heated one as there are valid arguments from both sides. 

What do parents have to say who don’t support spy apps?

On one hand, parents who don’t use spyware on their children believe that these apps are a way to invade the privacy of their children. They think that by doing so, it can result in trust issues between parents and children. These parents feel that if the kids are not given the space they desire then they won’t be able to make their own decisions and learn from their mistakes. 

By constantly monitoring what the children are doing, these kids, especially the teenagers could feel suffocated and may try hiding things from their parents which is not a very good thing in the long run.

Moreover, the parents opposing child monitoring tools argue that these can hinder a child’s overall development of critical thinking and decision making skills. And if a child finds out that they are being monitored then they might distance themselves from their parents or start relying on them for guidance on everything which is not a positive thing as a growing individual because after a certain point of time these children will be adults who need to take independent and crucial life decisions. 

Another concern is the possibility of spy apps being used for controlling or manipulating a child's behavior. Some parents may use these apps to constantly check on their child's every move, leading to a lack of trust and independence. This can also create a negative impact on a child's mental health, as they may feel suffocated and constantly under surveillance.

Another concern of the parents who are against mobile spy apps is that if the child knows they are being spied on, there are chances that they manipulate their behavior and online activity, allowing more space for threats that come along with using the internet. This can furthermore lead to a negative impact on a child’s mental health, creating self-doubt and feeling low thinking about why their parents need to spy on them. 

What do parents have to say who support spy apps?

On the other hand, parents who use spy apps say that the simple answer for doing so is just to be able to protect their children from the dangers of the online world. They believe that the world we are living in today is highly technology driven and it makes it even more important for parents to keep track of everything the children do on their phone. 

With the rise of cyberbullying, online predators and easy access to inappropriate content, parents think that using spy apps give them a sense of security and help in adding to responsible digital parenting. As per these parents, if they can get to know about the potential dangers beforehand, they can protect their children accordingly and timely. Also, they think that not always the kids are at the receiving end of such threats and sometimes they can be a threat to others too so considering this aspect also gives another reason to parents to spy on them.

Parents say that the features of a mobile spy app let them keep track of many things about their children which otherwise would be a challenge to find out. Like with the use of GPS tracking, parents can be sure that their kids are where they are supposed to be and not engaging in anything risky. Also the hidden call recorder for android phones lets the parents listen to their kids’ phone calls remotely anytime and from anywhere. These features provide a sense of relief for the parents who worry about their child’s safety, especially in cases of emergencies that need to be addressed at the earliest. 

What is our take on this heated debate?

So, by now you must be thinking about what is the right approach? Should parents use spy apps to monitor their children or are there other options too that they can try instead? Well, as per us, the answer is not a simple yes or no. Before taking any action, parents should be well aware of the potential risks and consequences involved of both using and not using spy apps. Here are a few things to consider before you finally make up your mind as to what you should do based on the situation you are in. 

Trust & communication: It is important for parents to take the first step in establishing trust and open communication with their children. This is one practice that should be a part of the way one raises their children from the very beginning, it is not only advised when we talk about technology but in anything and in general. 

Setting boundaries: Parents should be clear about how they expect their children to follow certain rules and that they don’t go beyond the set boundaries. This may include the limitation on the phone usage and the type of content they are supposed to view. Also, it is important to respect a child’s personal space and not cross any boundaries even if you are their parents. 

Using a phone spy app: We feel that using a spy app immediately is not the right resort. Instead, parents should try to have open communication with their child and educate them about the pros and cons of the internet. However, if you think that this way of communication is not helping then you may inform your child that you will have to install a phone spy app on their device to monitor their online activities. 

And if parents think that informing children about the spy app may influence them and result in them making calculative moves so that the parents are not aware of the things they are actually doing then they can choose not to alert the kids and today there are spy apps that are undetectable on the target device and one such app is Onemonitar that is undetectable on the dedicated device and parents appreciate this spy app because it has 60+ features that add value to digital parenting like hidden call recorder, WhatsApp spy, location tracking, social media monitoring and more. So, it becomes easier for parents to monitor their children with the ease that comes along with these mobile spy apps. 

Concluding Thoughts

As we conclude this article, whether to use a spy app on a child’s phone is valid or not remains a complex issue with logical arguments on both sides. While we understand that some parents may not want to use the spy apps for all the valid reasons, we cannot neglect the valid points put forward by the parents supporting these apps as they think that in today’s digital times, it is important that parents also upgrade their parenting skills from traditional to digital. And at last, using or not using a spy app is totally every parent’s personal choice and decision.