A majority of parents are tracking the location of their young adult children, according to a poll released on June 15.
Fifty-two percent of parents told the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health that they are tracking the location of their children aged 18 to 25. The tracking was being carried out with a phone or any device described as similar to a phone.
Tracking was more common among parents of adults aged 18 to 20 than among parents of adults aged 21 to 25, and more parents reported tracking daughters than sons.
Peace of mind was the most-cited reason (68 percent) for tracking adult children, followed closely by “in case of emergency” (64 percent). A minority of parents said they track their children to see iwhether it’s a good time to call (21 percent), to “stay current” (17 percent), or to see whether their children are in an approved place (9 percent).
About seven in 10 parents who track their adult children said they always do so, while about three in 10 use the tracking feature only selectively. Parents were more likely to turn it on if their child was out late at night, in an unfamiliar place, or taking a ride in a taxi or ridesharing vehicle.
Ninety-six percent of parents who track their adult children say the adult children are aware of the tracking. About half of the parents said they told the adult children that they could choose not to be tracked.
A majority of parents, or 65 percent, who do not employ tracking features said that tracking is an invasion of privacy, versus just 16 percent who use the features. About half of the parents who do not track say that tracking could prevent their children from becoming independent and responsible, compared to just 11 percent of parents who do track.
Forty-eight percent of parents said that their young adult child tracks their location. The overwhelming majority, or 90 percent, of the parents who are tracked in turn track their children.
“An unexpected finding in this Mott Poll is that parent tracking of young adult children is often mirrored by those same young adults tracking their parents’ location,” pollsters said. “This may offer parents an opportunity to examine their feelings about being tracked. Discussing when tracking may be helpful, such as during travel or emergencies, as well as when it may be unnecessary can help align young adult and parent perspectives. Establishing shared understanding may also reduce conflict and support the development of trust as young adults transition toward more independence.”
The survey was carried out in February.
Adults who have at least one child aged 13 to 25 were included. Respondents included 1,542 parents of adults aged 18 to 25. The margin of error was plus or minus one to three percentage points.
