‘I Bought My Teen’s Phone, So I Have The Right To Snoop On Them Whenever I Want’

Laura Muse, a mother of two, kisses her adolescent son Cohen goodnight every night at 11:30 p.m.

After that, she takes his phone and exits the room.

To prevent her 15-year-old from staying up late texting, tweeting, and watching TikTok videos, Muse has confiscated the gadget to guarantee that she gets a good night’s sleep before school the following day.

The mother of two high school students in Greensboro, North Carolina, checks her son’s and daughter’s phones regularly, reading through their text messages and browsing their social media accounts to ensure they behave themselves online.

“I own the phones, and I’m the one paying the bill.” Muse, 41, said to The Post, “I can look through them anytime I want.”

CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES

As a mental health physician, Muse acknowledged that some would see her frequent phone checks as disrespectful or intrusive but insisted that this was just how she ran her household.

A rising number of parents are imposing restrictions on and keeping tabs on their children’s internet activities.

Muse and other parents of Generation Zers openly confess to spying under the hashtag #RaisingTeens, which has garnered over 216 million and counting TikTok impressions.

Malwarebytes, a software security company, surveyed 1,000 parents and found that 54% use two or more methods to keep tabs on their teens.

These methods include tracking their teens’ phones via GPS, reading their emails, checking their web search history, reviewing texts, checking their social media posts, screening computer games, and spying on YouTube activity.

Laura insists that family relations have never been better since this new rule. CREDIT: LAURA MUSE

Muse began monitoring her offspring as soon as they obtained their first cell phones at age 11.

At first, she carried out weekly unannounced checks. The tweens and teens would complain a little but ultimately give up their phones since they understood that it was part of the deal to have access to phones.

Since Muse’s children are already far into their teenage years, she only conducts checkups on them on an ad hoc, yearly basis.

Although she has complete faith in her children, both famous sportsmen with sizable online fan bases, this doting mom believes that keeping a close check on her children’s digital activities will keep them safe from online predators and fraudsters.

CREDIT: GETTY

She has uncovered Cohen’s earlier Instagram swearing and shirtless photographs.

As soon as she saw the inappropriate material, she told him to get rid of it. Other parents are discussing their illegal finds on social media.

A video posted by a mother on TikTok in which she said that she had found out her 15-year-old son was exchanging nude images with his girlfriend garnered over 5,000 views.

After going through her adolescent daughter’s phone, one mother reacted by mouthing the words “What the f-k?” at the sound of a man’s voice.

She chose not to reveal the specifics of her unsettling finding in the video she uploaded with the caption “WTF did I just witness,” which received over 105,000 views.

Commenters slammed the probing mother, saying things like “This is not right,” “You don’t have to snoop through her phone,” and “I despise parents who can’t respect limits” in response to her post.

Gillian Margonis, a member of Generation Z from Nashville, Tenn., posted a video on TikTok in which she criticised the prying parents; the clip went viral, garnering 5.6 million views.

Parents’ Comments On TikTok

She urged her fans not to let anybody peek through their phones since “much like your room, [your phone] is your private area”.

Manhattan psychologist Kelly Nadel is quoted as saying that although privacy and limits are crucial, parents should not feel guilty about monitoring their teen’s phone use so long as they are transparent about their reasons and worries.

Nadel recommended that parents converse with their kids about proper phone conversation topics and how to establish safeguards for their children’s phone use.

Involving your child in the phone monitoring process can make them feel like it’s a team effort rather than a shakedown, which may strengthen your family’s relationship.

Laura with Her Husband And Kids

Nadel argued that if parents put quality time with their children first, their teens will make better technology choices as they mature. The same holds for Muse’s residence.

Her children, she claims, have come to accept her spying on them. She claims that this has strengthened their relationship as a unit.

If Muse discovers a problem, “we speak about it and make it into a learning opportunity,” she says.

I am not flawless and do not want perfection from my children, yet, it is essential to exercise vigilance.