Student Response: Exercise 31, p. 74
Parents should not use electronic tags to track children
8 years ago in Praia da Luz, Portugal, Kate and Gerry McCann went to a restaurant to have dinner without their daughter, whom they kept in the hotel room. Upon return, they were distraught to discover that Madeleine, their daughter, had disappeared from her bed. To this day, she still has not been found. Many people believe that a tracking tag would have helped in this situation. I am sceptical of this idea. Why would we use a tracking tag if it makes us rely more on technology, makes us shirk our responsibility, and psychologically impacts us in a negative way?
Parents must encourage children to become independent and avoid using gadgets that increase their control. The new technology used to track a child’s tag is making children less self-reliant and less capable. Also it gives parents a false sense of security as kidnappers could quite easily throw away a tag. In addition, hackers are a huge problem in our society. Earlier this year, a group of hackers stole over $1 billion from more than 100 banks in 30 different countries by breaking into the banks’ computer security. This shows how easy it would be for someone to hack into the network of tracker tags, and how they could exploit it to bring harm to children. This is ironic; the tag is supposed to keep the child safe and protected, but instead it is being used as a tool for kidnappers. It is also no use if the kidnapper finds and disposes of it.
All parents must be responsible for their child by managing their health, education and well-being. The child tracker tag may at first seem to assist parents in being more responsible by helping them know where their children are, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Below the surface, the tracker tag makes parents think that “My child can go anywhere he/she wants because the tag will keep them safe.” It can also affect the child’s mindset to make them think that they can do whatever they want. Parents should scrap the idea of a tracker tag and be more responsible, not waiting for a notification on their phone to say that “Your child has gone outside of the restricted area.”
How would you feel if you know you are being tracked by somebody all the time? Safe? Children would become anxious and more self-conscious that someone knows where they are and might bring harm to them. Fear and dread would also build up in them, preventing them from trying and exploring new things. The tag gives them a sense of suspicion and it tells others that “This child is dangerous.” Sometimes a child may even exploit these tags to attract attention, which is known as the “cry wolf” syndrome.
In conclusion, this child tracking tag is the worst idea someone could have ever thought of. It makes parents rely more on technology, as they avoid (abrogate/shirk) their responsibility for their children. Parents must be actively responsible in looking after their children by relying less on technology.
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