Children Check Parents' Locations 10 to 12 Times a Day on Family Tracking Apps
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 7
Children Check Parents' Locations 10 to 12 Times a Day on Family Tracking Apps
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 7
Summary
Life360 says teens—especially those old enough to drive—check family members’ locations more often than parents do, flipping apps built for parental oversight into two-way monitoring tools.
About a third of parents track their children with apps, and roughly half of parents in a Duke study said they monitor adolescents, creating the system that now lets children watch parents in return.
Parents described children questioning late nights, spotting restaurant stops and even requesting food en route home; one college-aged daughter checked her family’s location 10 to 12 times daily for reassurance.
Psychologists said constant confirmation can reinforce anxiety and erode healthy tolerance for uncertainty, though reciprocal tracking may also reflect trust and improve adjustment in some families.
Privacy risks extend beyond family dynamics: legal experts warned location data can be sold or obtained with warrants, even after Life360 said it had limited data sales and does not share data on users under 18.