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, they own the phone; or the phone is effectively on loan from the parent and so isn't owned by the teenager, which is just a great way to teach your kid that you trust them. Totally great.

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

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rckt148 · 61-69, M

My home ,my rules
But as a rule if my kids gave me no cause to distrust them ,their room their privacy .
But my job as a parent is to protect my kids and sometimes that means from themselves .
My Kids thought my strictness sucked ,,but now that they are
36,39 and 41 ,they thank me for looking out for them ,even when it made them mad
I am not on this planet to be their buddy ,
But I also practice what I preach ,and that is a big difference .
When my Grandson who turned 18 yesterday says to me "Papaw Mom does not have the right " WOAAAAA hold one one minute
You can take yourself to "Your house " and talk all the trash you want
But under my daughters roof she worked for that she provides for you for free and will continue to do so until you finish school next year ,you need to reel it in .
I will not allow your disrespect ,Have we done anything but make sacrifices for you ? have we not lived the exact same rules we ask you to live by ?
yes sir ,,,then 18 is a number ,tell your Mom your sorry and change your tone
Mom I am sorry ,,
He has been shown respect his whole life ,if its not abused his privacy is his own ,as long as there is no need to question him
He can do as he pleases ,but now he is 18 ,he can go rent his own home too
or be thankful his only worry is to make good grades and show respect that is shown to him
And that is to be truthful and not give cause to have to see if he is lying or not ,
I like being able to say he never lies to me ,I would be crushed to find out he abused my trust ,Like his Mom we talk about everything ,and I mean everything .
So then one day when you have your own kids ,
then answer your own question is checking up on you invasion of privacy
I say your over 18 and thats how you think ,time to find your own home .
Pay you own way ,have your own home ,than its not ones business what you do .
And my kids and Grandkids agree ,they are smart enough to know when they have it good ,we didn't raise dummies ,they know I mean what I say
I walked out of my parents home at 13 ,and I did well
But I eat a lot of oranges and potato's ,it was tough proving I was an adult and no one was going to keep telling me what to do .
I stick by my rules ,when I am not supporting you ,I don't meddle ,its your life .