There are those who claim that it is imperative that parents should not invade their children’s privacy in not only online but also real-life environment. Although this thinking holds some validity, I am of the opinion that for the sake of their offspring’s healthy development, parents should intervene in some potential harmful circumstances.
Some individuals opine that children’s privacy in online and offline world should not be disturbed by parents. For one, a number of learning forums and advice-giving groups that hold greater merit for youngsters. Parents, hence, should let children actively enroll in these productive virtual environments at their convenience. Without parental involvement, children tend to show higher levels of self-confidence to acquire knowledge and assert themselves positively, helping them to expand their horizons and skills. In addition, it is better for parents not to respect their children’s privacy when they have healthy circles of friends in real life. This is because they have become close friends for years. Thus, children can confide in their inner feelings that they are often reluctant to share with their parents, which allows them to bottom up a sense of happiness or even relieve their sadness in some worst cases.
Regardless of the aforementioned reasoning, I strongly feel that it is necessary for parents to intrude on children’s privacy in certain situations in the interest of children’s healthy growth. In terms of the cyber world, where there seem to exist countless antisocial activities and bad people, children may easily fall victim to these harmful individuals without parental guidance and supervision. A prime example of this can be witnessed in a host of secondary students, who get involved in criminal activities like selling illegal items or being exposed to online false information. Furthermore, some relationships with peers or people nearby also need the supervision of parents. It is true that some toxic friends have a tendency to teach other children to behave improperly or participate in unhealthy activities, such as trying e-cigarette, engaging in early romantic relationships, or even swearing. They are a few among innumerable examples that if parents allow their children to do whatever at will, these activities indeed have an adverse bearing on their children.
In conclusion, while the view that sometime parents should not violate children’s privacy in cyber and real-world life holds value, I still maintain that both the participation of parents in both two environments is much needed to ensure the safety and effectiveness of people and activities that children connect with.