Should parents be allowed to go through their children’s phones?

VOX POP
Mariselle Stofberg
Eila Haimbili, 11B

Yes they do.

I'm a teen and my phone is regularly checked. I understand why they do it however, and it is very justified. Otherwise you might end up going places where you shouldn't or end up messing up your life forever. Nothing you post can truly go away, but with parents monitoring what you post, you have a lower chance of doing something you shouldn't.

Asante Diener, 11B

I personally do not think that parents should go through their children’s phones. As adolescents we naturally become more conservative with our lives and less "open" with our parents. This is what worries and probably makes them think we're up to no good. Making them think they'd find the answers to their questions in our phones. But that’s just not happening, well at least not while the delete button exists. But in all earnestness parents should really be considered, they should respect our privacy as we respect theirs. I believe it’s only fair.

Elden Hiskia, 12B

No, because in today's life you can expect anything. Parents must stay out of their children’s phones if they don't want to be disappointed. One day the parents won't be around. Let the children live free and experience mistakes of being a teenager because that's when life teaches every person to grow up and to be an adult in order to make better decisions.

Ngumeja Luke Kaura, 12A

Yes, I feel parents that parents should look through their child's phone because they want to protect them against cat fishers and pedophiles, too also get to know their children on a personal yet open level to make sure that the child is safe and not in harm’s way on the internet to if they are faced with bullying or any other problems they can help the child and get the right authority to handle the case it also causes less problems between parents and children. It also helps creates a bond between the parent and the child.

Pharrell Olivier, 10B

No, parents should not go through their kids phones, because it shows a lack of trust in their relationship and it isn't incomparable with parental monitoring. It also depends on their children’s age, personality and behaviour. It is okay to go through your younger children’s phone, but not a teenager’s phone. They like to keep their things private.

Foibe Tuhafeni, 8B

Yes, but there is no absolute right answer whether it is OK if one of the parents is allowed to go into their child's phone. It depends on the child's age personality and behavior. The parents are allowed to go into their kids phones because they are responsible for giving them phones.

Sandre Smith, 8B

They can if they feel something fishy is going on.They have the right to do it. YES! It is privacy matters for teenagers and children but we just need to understand that the parents are just looking out for us as teenagers so that we cannot go in the wrong direction. Be open with your parents.

Obadja Akwenye, 11B

I think parents should not be allowed to go through their children's phones because children should also be allowed that little bit of privacy. I think trust is a very important factor in a parent-child relationship and relying on cyber spying is a way of admission of failure and it shows a lack of communication between them and certainly a failure of teaching because children that are taught know where the boundaries are and parents don't need to see if they are being crossed or not because they know their child will make the right choice.

Herchel Bok, 9B

Firstly I don't like the idea of my parents going through my phone, but I think they need to know what's going on in my life. My phone is like a part of me, whatever my parents find in my phone, they need to understand because it they also went through similar phases when they were my age.

Ethan Eiman, 11A

There is no right answer. Trust is very important in a parent-child relationship and is incompatible with parental monitoring. Therefore, it’s your job as a parent to teach your children about the dangers of the internet and how to deal with them together before you give him/her a smart phone.