The world is a different place than it was when we were kids and were allowed to wander around the neighborhood until dark, as long as we had some change to use a payphone if we needed to. Today, parents want to keep a closer watch on their kids and some of them are using a high-tech device to do it. When Apple AirTags came out in 2021, the company clearly stated that they were only to be used for objects, not pets or children, but that’s not stopping some moms and dads from using them to track their kids.
The $29 gadgets are meant to find things like lost keys, but many caregivers are sticking them in backpacks, attaching them to bikes or even to kids themselves. You can buy wristbands, lanyards and pins to hold the AirTags and at any time, parents can use their phone to see their child’s location on a map. They’re far less expensive than smartwatches that have GPS and they keep tabs on kids too young for a smartphone.
Tracking kids isn’t something everyone feels comfortable about, but parents who do it like that it gives their child some of the freedom enjoyed by previous generations. A lot of adults using AirTags with their kids say they’re worried about access to social media and the bullying and everything else that could come with their kid having a real phone. Philadelphia mom Tara Mendola and her husband have given their eight- and 11-year-olds AirTags not so much to monitor their every move, but to see where they are and when they’ll be home. She says, “I want it to be something that increases their freedom, not increases our surveillance of them.”
Source: The Washington Post