Should a parent be allowed to look through their teenager's phone?

Poll - Total Votes: 28

Yes

You can only vote on one answer.

Personally, I think it's a total invasion of privacy that only teaches the kid, quite accurately, that they can't trust their parent, and that their parent doesn't trust them. I know from experience how damaging it is for a parent child relationship to lose it's trust.

I'm interested to hear other perspectives though, especially from parents.

EDIT 1: On the note of who's paying, it doesn't matter. Once you give the phone to the kid, it's either theirs, at which point they own it and it doesn't matter whether the money came from the parent, then child, or a damn alien, [i]they own the phone[/i]; or the phone is effectively on loan from the parent and so isn't owned by the teenager, which is just a [i]great [/i]way to teach your kid that you trust them. [i]Totally great[/i].

Talking about cost just dodges the moral question, and replaces it with one about ownership that is totally irrelevant.

revenant · F

I am not sure.

If the parents suspects there is something going on and the kid is depressed and there is nothing apparent..maybe a bully around

I think it depends on the parent and the kid. Some parents are very sanctimonious and some kids well whatever their personality : too shy too introverted, fearful, etc

The relationship between parent and kid : is it strained or is it easy. Things they talk about etc.

The age also. A 18 year old should have more privacy than a 11 year old.