So I asked a psychologist and psychotherapist for their views.
"I think they can be helpful if used to manage safety and foster connection, respect, openness and communication," psychologist, Phoebe Rogers, told me.
"I know my psychologist friend and parent uses one really successfully with her teenager. Ond one client used this with his teen daughter, and saved her from several sticky/unsafe situations too."
For me, this last point is key, and outweighs everything else. Surely, our children's safety is the most important thing, and for young teens–whose whereabouts parents really shouldknow–if they're where they're supposed to be, why should they mind?
According to psychotherapist, Karen Phillip, for kids who are planning to do the right thing, the issue may be in their perception of the app as a sign of trust issues, rather than a safety precaution.
"Ensuring the well-being of your children and maintaining open communication about the purpose behind using these apps is crucial," says Dr Phillip.
Continuous tracking might make children and teens feel their every move is being scrutinised, which can strain trust and relationships, she says.
"Constant monitoring can lead to misunderstandings or conflicts, as it may create feelings of mistrust or infringement on personal space."
While I believe parents dohave the right to know what's going on in their children's lives–and phones–to ensure the safe use of social media for example, I can relate to this second point.
If a child forgets their phone at one location, they may appearto be somewhere they're not supposed to be, when they're not. Similarly, you might get an alert that the child has left school, when the back of the oval happens to sit outside the GPS coordinates, making it look as though they've left.
