Spying on Your Teen in the Text Generation

Technology that has driven a wedge between parent and teen has at the same time provided parents with tools they can use to keep tabs on their troubled teens.

Today's parent, whether worried about their teen's well being or just plain nosy, can use software to track their child's every move, keystroke, and Facebook post. It's a controversial parenting tactic that could sabotage a parent-child relationship or save a teen from making a life-changing mistake.

Teen Tracking: Is it Spying on Your Kids or Simply Good Parenting?

Danine Manette is a criminal investigator and mother of two who comes out clearly on the side of what she calls "monitoring" teens.

Manette says parents are obligated to look out for the welfare of teens whose brains are not fully developed.

"It's not about trust, it's about the fact that we're in a new world and every time you turn on the computer you're opening up your home to millions of strangers," she told ABC's The View recently. "This is a new voyeuristic era where it's not important to do unless you're being watched doing it."

Manette monitors her own two teens but is open about the fact that she will be "checking up on them." She advocates tracking to investigate unusual behaviour - from failing grades, to extended absences, excessive moodiness, or a change in appetite or friends.

Parent and digital media and marketing executive David Churbuck says there's a fine line between monitoring a teen's Internet use and spying. He believes parents should limit "snooping" to making themselves administrator of their teen's computer, knowing their passwords, and checking the browser history to see which sites they've been on.

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