You can’t deny how technically savvy our generation is. Or how inventive we are. We’re constantly developing newer and better . . . well . . . everything! Think back to our earlier school days – we didn’t have cell phones or satelite radios or e-classes. Even personal computers were still a relatively new thing . . . and we all sure didn’t have our own laptops.
For as advanced as we are, apparently I can still be suprised by what we develop. This morning, on the way into work (while listening to my satellite radio, of course) I heard two commercials that shocked me. Or maybe they were a reality check? regardless . . . these were the general messages for each of the ads:
First Commercial: starts with a phone ringing and music in the background. A young man answers the phone and the conversation goes like this:
Boy: “Hello?”
Mom: “Mark, why are you in such-and-such area? I thought you were going to John’s house?”
Boy: “I am, I just took a wrong turn. I’m back on the right road now.”
Mom: “Oh, okay, great. Don’t forget to get gas up there at the corner. And Mark? Please slow down.”
Boy: “(laughing) Okay, Mom. I’ll be more careful.”
In case you didn’t catch the premise from my abbreviated version of the commercial - a mom was calling her son’s cell phone after checking the computer to see where he was. It’s a program that tracks the location of the cell phone in real time – she could see what road he was on and even how fast he was driving! How crazy is that? Still not suprised? How about this next one:
Second Commercial:
Dad reading text message 1 from daughter: “Hi Dad, just calling to let you know that we’re going to the mall.”
Dad reading text message 2 from daughter: “Hi Dad, just checking in to let you know that we got here okay and we’re going to shop around a bit. Don’t worry, I don’t need any money, I have my debit card and know my balance.”
Dad reading text message from Bank: “Card ending 9999 was just used at ‘Store X’ for a purchase of $20″
Dad: Calling Daughter: “Hi Sarah, what kind of store is ‘Store X’ and what did you just spend $20 on?”
Sarah: “Oh, it’s a clothing store that I really like. I bought a t-shirt but I just saw 3 other girls in the food court wearing the same one so I’m actually returning it right now. I can’t wear something that everyone else already has!”
Seriously? Am I the only one that is shocked that we can now spy on our children to this detail? I can’t decide how I feel about it. I wasn’t able to be tracked like this when I was younger – although perhaps if I was I would’ve been a more well-behaved child. Or maybe I would’ve rebelled even harder than I did and gotten into a lot of trouble? Who knows. But the reality is that it’s available now and I’m curious how many of you actually watch your own children like this? What’s next? An insertable ‘lo-jack’ for your kid that can be removed at 18? I’m sure that’s already in the works actually. And you know what? Sign me up. God forbid something should ever happen to my Moose, I’d want to know exactly where he was so I could get to him as fast as possible. I just don’t know if I could trust myself to use this stuff for emergency purposes only. Part of me wonders if it would strip the independance from my son that he should experience as a normal part of growing up.



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