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Privacy Rights for Teenagers

Should teenagers have the same right to privacy that adults expect? Teens should
have privacy right because teenagers do have rights under the Constitution; the right to privacy
for teens is controversial. Privacy is dealing with one person not others involved. `` A north
suburban high school is cracking down on campus drug sales by confiscating the cell phones of
student suspects and using their text messages to identify others, an investigative technique that
has raised questions among some legal experts and unnerved students who said they assumed
texting to be private.(Keilman and Berger) Even though some people believe some invasion
of teenagers privacy are necessary to keep them safe teenagers should have the same
privacy rights as adults because teens consider cyberspace as their turf, parents should
allow kids with freedom and raise a young adult who can make independent decisions and
who can have a life of their own.
Teens think cyberspace is their turf. A private, no-holds-barred arena where they can say
and do what they want. Its more like freedom for teens to get online and do whatever they want.
Parents wont even know whats going on, only if their spying or snooping around on their
childs computer. Many teens these days express their self over the internet. They use words they
might say around adults or parents. "Kids think the Internet is a legal-free zone (David
Hudson). The internet allows teens to meet thousands of people. Teens use MySpace, face book,
and twitter. Many teens spend hours surfing the Net When parents would prefer them to be doing
homework, out playing sport, or even at the mall.
You cannot control every aspect of your childs life, especially as she enters the teen
years, but you do play an important role. As your child gets older they are going to want more
and less privacy. They feel like as growing into young adult parents can kind of lay off on certain

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things. Teens make mistakes and will need to be saved from them. They want to have their
personal space without you poking your nose in their business. Taking things to extreme,
however, will make your teen be distant from you and your relationship with them. Balancing
your need to keep your teen safe and their need to be independent is not an exact science. Stay
with the basics of asking and checking every once in awhile or when you feel your teen is not
safe.
Parents should allow kids with freedom. Teens would like more time curfew on weekends
because they are having a lot of fun. Teens can look after their self when they are out enjoying
their self. Parents always think teen do not know how to control their self. I think the term
spying should be reserved for when parents start going through their kids' closets and drawers,
going onto their computer and checking emails, looking through their backpack and pockets, and
other activities of that nature. In my opinion, if your child is otherwise trustworthy, honest and
responsible, I dont believe theres any reason for you to do that. (James Lehman). Most teens
think their parents have trust in them but parents go over and beyond.
Parents say we should keep secrets from them but its not secrets its just something we
dont want to share with our mother or father. If you have a teenager who meets her
Responsibilities, comes home on curfew, is where she says shell be when she said shed be
there, is hanging out with the people with whom she said she would be hanging out, and you
have no reason to be suspicious about anything, I suggest you stay out of her room.( James
Lehman). A good teen or any other teen shouldnt go through no having privacy for them self.

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As figure 1 show, this is the percentage of ages thats using internet in todays life. Ages 19-29
have the most percentage rate because their young. The group of 19-17 is 93%, the group of 1829 is that same 93%, the group 30-49 is less 81% and 50-64 have 70%.
Raise a young adult who can make independent decisions and who can have a life of their
own. Parents also have busy lives and need to find ways to balance work, family, social, and
personal pursuits and responsibilities. As a parent they should be teaching their child the same.
Teenagers might need a little alone time each day. Another teen might stay in his room more than
usual to read, sleep or talk on the phone more behind closed doors. Teens keep journals or
diaries, hide some of their possessions or behave secretly about their involvement in social
networking. Your teen might stop talking to you about his friends and activities, school work.
Teens want to be trusted to do more and more things. They want to be thought of as
mature and capable of handling independence. It is wonderful when we can give our teens their
space and privacy. When you give your teen the privacy they need, they become more

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independent and build their self-confidence. Balance between knowing what your teen is doing,
trusting youre teen to have some private matters and knowing when to step in is a fine line that
parents walk every day. Teens need to know that you respect them, their space and their things.
But too much privacy is as bad, or worse. While trying to learn to be independent people, teens
need privacy, but they make mistakes and will need to be saved from themselves. Most parents
want their teens to have some freedom. But in today's world, some freedoms can be unhealthy,
harmful, and even dangerous. Without a doubt, parents need to establish proper boundaries for
their teens. And, at the same time, kids want and actually need some privacy.(Sandi Black)
Many other sources, however, argue that some invasions of teenagers privacy are
necessary to keep them safe. ``The spread of cell phones and tablets in the hands of children has
complicated matters, giving rise to applications that attract the young and worry parents. Earlier
this month, for instance, came revelations that an app designed for flirting, called Skout, had led
to three sexual assault cases involving children across the country. Even on Face book, studies
have repeatedly shown, there are plenty of children younger than 13, the minimum age for
members, and many of them join with help and supervision from their parents. (Sengupta).
There are many electronics that kids have now days, sexually assault really have parents worried.
What this argument fails to consider is as young adults they should be doing this like that
anyway.
``It may be a timeless curse of parenthood to know simultaneously too much about one's
teenager and yet never access the information one actually wants. But the unruly morass of
today's social media and cell phone-infested landscape seems to have made both aspects of the
curse worse.(Paul). Its a curse for parents to know things about their child business but with

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social media cell phones are curses. While this point may make sense at first, the author is off
base because some kids tell their parent certain things just not all.
Nunes said the program has launched in California, Texas and a smattering of other states.
The device can be used in vehicles made since 1996 and installation is as simple as plugging it
into the on-board diagnostics port. Parents log on to the onboard website and set boundaries,
such as curfews, for their teen drivers. When teens go too fast, drive outside their digitally drawn
boundaries or don't come home on time, the parent receives an email or text alert, or both.
Technology is not a panacea for advocating your parental rights no matter what," Abney said.
"That's where this program is maybe going to have its most value if parents will take the time to
be involved.(Cook). Getting a text or email while driving will take teens attention away from
driving. Although the core of this claim is valid, it is flawed because there are many driving
classes letting teens know that checking your phone can put your life in danger.
Because teens consider cyberspace their turf, parents should allow kids with freedom and
raise a young adult who can make independent decisions and who can have a life of their own,
teenagers should have the same privacy rights as adults, despite the idea that some invasion of
teenagers privacy are necessary to keep them safe. In the past, teen privacy rights really didnt
matter because it wasnt any internet. Nowadays, it has an bigger impact on teens because they
are all over social media doing different things. Later in life, privacy for teens will be more an
impact because of all the technology is advancing.
Works Cited
Barker, Joanna. "Teen Privacy: When to Cross the Line." WebMD. WebMD. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.
Barnes, Robert. "Strip-Search Case Could Redefine Student Privacy." Washington Post (Washington,
DC). 11 Apr. 2009: A1+. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 18 Sep. 2014.

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Cook, Rachel. "Spy Parents: AAA Rolls Out Free Program to Monitor Teen Drivers." Bakersfield
Californian. 13 Nov. 2011: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 18 Sep. 2014.
Keilman, John, and Susan Berger. "Students' Phones Taken in Probe." Chicago Tribune. 02 Feb. 2012:
1. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 18 Sep. 2014
Lehman, James. "Teens and Privacy: Should I Spy on My Child? Plus: The 4 Tactics Kids Use When
They Get Caught." Empowering Parents. 2014 Legacy Publishing Company. All Rights
Reserved. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.
Moore, Martha T. "School District's Webcam Surveillance Focus of Suit." USA TODAY. 03 May 2010:
A.3. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 18 Sep. 2014.
Neal, Rome. "Teen-agers And Privacy." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, 27 Feb. 2001. Web. 11 Dec. 2014.
Paul, Pamela. "Cyberparenting and the Risk of T.M.I." New York Times. 05 May 2013: ST.8. SIRS
Issues Researcher. Web. 18 Sep. 2014.
Sengupta, Somini. "'Big Brother'? No, It's Parents." New York Times. 26 Jun. 2012: A.1. SIRS Issues
Researcher. Web. 18 Sep. 2014.