551–560 of 809 posts
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Is there any reason to suspect that tracking apps like find my are correlated with government surveillance?
For years the government used cell phone data to track locations without it being known. Why wouldn't they use a more reliable way of doing it? Is there any reason to NOT suspect it?
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I object to the idea that putting a smartwatch on your child is helicopter parenting. It can be exactly the opposite - if a little piece of technology allows kids to roam farther unsupervised, then it fosters independence. I have never been accused of overparenting, yet I preordered one of these google watches. I expect to use it on outings like amusement parks and ski trips. We'll see how it goes.
> I object to the idea that putting a smartwatch on your child is helicopter parenting > allows kids to roam farther unsupervised, then it fosters independence. I think you understand then. It depends how the devices are used, obviously. I think no one is really objecting to the utility of being able to use such a device when there is a serious situation, but rather that the reality is that a very large number of par…
The problem is that, from the child's perspective, there is no difference. The parent can -- genuinely and sincerely -- tell the child that they'll only use the tracking in an emergency, but the child still knows that ever-present tracking means they don't have the freedom to be where they want to be, absent their parents' knowledge and permission.
I was a relatively "good kid" growing up, and mostly did what my parents told me to do, and mostly asked permission for the things I wanted to do that (from my parents' perspective) required permission. But sometimes I did my own thing, went where I wanted, and didn't ask permission. And my parents would have punished me had they found out. I wouldn't want to grow up in a society where I would be too afraid to do those things, because my parents had the capability to track my every movement.
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It's shaming constant tracking, not anyone that might buy this. And that probably should be shamed.
why? What's the harm with knowing where your minor kids or opted in spouse are? Honest question.
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I don’t care if my wife knows my location either. She’s my partner, not my parent. Thankfully, I’m not a teen trying to develop a sense of autonomy and self reliance independent of my wife’s supervision. As other posters have pointed out, no one really knows anything about anyone else’s life from an HN post. That said, the whole point of the panopticon is that if the prisoner doesn’t know when they’re being observed,…
> Thankfully, I’m not a teen trying to develop a sense of autonomy and self reliance independent of my wife’s supervision. Just a note that I don't think anyone is thinking of these watches as being for teenagers. They appear targeted at much younger kids, 8-11ish.
I'm sure there are plenty of parents who have given them smartphones and require their kids to always share their location with them, all the way through their teen years.
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Your kids don't learn independence and how to be self sufficient. After all, the goal is to make your kids into self-sufficient adults who can survive and navigate a complex world without your help. Being over protective (which is a natural instinct) can lead to children being overly dependent and not learning to be (to put in the most HN way possible) generalist agents. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40519118
Do you have kids? If you do you know that the main goal is to keep your kids safe and healthy. Everything else generally comes 2nd. Now there are of course extremes to this but for most the use of tracking technology is not intended as a crutch for the child but for the parent. So they know the kid is safe. Little Jimmy for the most part is not thinking if I get lost Mommy knows where I am. If they are out, they are…
This type of reasoning is not sound, because you can draw the line literally wherever you want and still make that argument. "Kid isn't allowed to do anything alone without a parent present" satisfies that statement, but I wouldn't want to be a teenager living in a household like that.
> Little Jimmy for the most part is not thinking if I get lost Mommy knows where I am. If they are out, they are free.
I don't think I'd agree with that. Maybe when they're 4 years old, sure. But 8 years old? 10? 12? 15? At some point they will feel stifled, knowing that Mom and Dad can find out exactly where they are with a few taps on their phone. Maybe the parents will decide the tracking is no longer necessary before they get to that point. But maybe not.
Or hell, maybe they won't feel stifled, even by the time they're 15, because pervasive surveillance will be so normalized to them that it would feel strange not to be tracked. IMO that's the worst possible outcome.
My kids main demand is the following features, and this watch doesn't deliver on any of them: 1. Whitelist contacts for calling and text call - installing an app is a pain for older ppl / friends. 2. Music: Why not Google? This already has headphone support and the Pixel watch hardware which support musics. 3. Maps: in case they need to go A to B. WearOS has google maps, so this should be an easy add. School bus is o…
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Or - A big part of parenting is building trust with your child to do what is expected of them, and dealing with it when they stray.
Or - A bi gpart of parenting is making sure the kids understand why they have to go to school and how lucky they are to be able to. (but I 100% agree with you, trust is not achieved with panopticon control)
Indeed, it is actually eroded.
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> The average small child can't say what Dad's phone number is, or even his full name. Young kids have really limited awareness of their surroundings, and can get lost very easily. Add multiple kids into the mix and it can be a real challenge to keep them all together when you're out. I grew up memorizing my dad's number and was told to go find a trusted adult, stranger danger, etc. There was only one time I needed t…
Aren't phone numbers longer than they used to be?
Ugh, I threw up a little in my mouth just from the headline. This constant tracking of kids is unnecessary and dangerous. Generations of kids survived without their parents needing to know their location at all times. And yes, I totally admit, some kids (very few actually depending on the locale) didn't survive. But we've traded this false sense of "safety" for kids that are so risk averse it is seriously negatively…
> This constant tracking of kids is unnecessary and dangerous. Generations of kids survived without their parents needing to know their location at all times. This topic is always so alarmist. I have kids and a spouse. We all have Find My and Location Sharing on our phones. I don't FrEaK oUt that my kids are going to die if I'm not tracking their every movement. But it's nice to glance at Find My app and see if the k…
Choppers flying around and all that. But sure, its 'convenient' for you. It would be also convenient if we all had tracking chips under our skin, so that good ol' government can fight crime better, a wonderful world to live in.
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Why do you feel like you “need” this, though? I think that’s exactly what GP is saying – not disagreeing that it might have utility, but that there is a cost associated as well. The world is just statistically not that scary, and it’s good to let our kids make mistakes and get lost and find their way and face adversity and survive. Me and my wife differ in our perspectives on this. She is more of a “safety at any cos…
no freedom is removed from the child. It's a failsafe they can chose to contact the parents when they feel overwhelmed and then the decision from the parent can still be made to not help. If anything children will be given more latitude to be independent. Safety at any cost is a very silly phrase. If something happens to your child and $250 could have prevented it the cost seems very small and the statistics very per…