Spyware on Children's Computers; Regorian Rhetoric
Parents as Undercover Cops
Spyware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. On the internet, spyware is programming that is put in someone’s computer to secretly gather information about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties. In this case, the ‘other interested parties’ are parents. Parents are becoming more and more protective of their kids. Many are now becoming open to the idea of putting spyware on their children’s computers when previously that was unthought-of. No matter what ones particular outlook on this subject is, there are pros and cons of each side, and most seem to lean largely on one side or the other, as opposed to being more in the middle. There are many harmful traps on the internet, but does that justify tracking children’s every keystroke on their computer?
Harlan Coben believes spyware is more than justified. In Coben’s article, “The Undercover Parent,” Coben states that parents are overprotective of their kids in many other aspects, such as knowing their passwords to their phones, supervising them at all events, and so on. So why give them their independence when it comes to the internet? I understand what he means and even agree with his reasoning in some ways. Coben says that the ones doing the surveillance are not some government officials; they are loving parents trying to protect their offspring. This argument is valid because it shows that the parents who choose to put the software in computers are really just trying to keep their kids best interest in mind, and those who compare it to being surveyed by a government agency or something of the like is ludicrous. Some children are at risk of being harmed through the internet, and do require that surveillance. The children that are unknowingly communicating with a pedophile, or the “43% of teens [that] have been victims of cyber bullying in the last year,” could have had a possibility of being
Spyware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. On the internet, spyware is programming that is put in someone’s computer to secretly gather information about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties. In this case, the ‘other interested parties’ are parents. Parents are becoming more and more protective of their kids. Many are now becoming open to the idea of putting spyware on their children’s computers when previously that was unthought-of. No matter what ones particular outlook on this subject is, there are pros and cons of each side, and most seem to lean largely on one side or the other, as opposed to being more in the middle. There are many harmful traps on the internet, but does that justify tracking children’s every keystroke on their computer?
Harlan Coben believes spyware is more than justified. In Coben’s article, “The Undercover Parent,” Coben states that parents are overprotective of their kids in many other aspects, such as knowing their passwords to their phones, supervising them at all events, and so on. So why give them their independence when it comes to the internet? I understand what he means and even agree with his reasoning in some ways. Coben says that the ones doing the surveillance are not some government officials; they are loving parents trying to protect their offspring. This argument is valid because it shows that the parents who choose to put the software in computers are really just trying to keep their kids best interest in mind, and those who compare it to being surveyed by a government agency or something of the like is ludicrous. Some children are at risk of being harmed through the internet, and do require that surveillance. The children that are unknowingly communicating with a pedophile, or the “43% of teens [that] have been victims of cyber bullying in the last year,” could have had a possibility of being
Cited: Coben, Harlan. "The Undercover Parent." New York Times 16 Mar. 2008: n. pag. Print. Crary, David. "USA TODAY." USATODAY.COM. N.p., 05 Sept. 20122. Web. 17 Mar. 2013. Fodeman, Doug, and Marje Monroe. "The Impact Of Facebook On Our Students." Teacher Librarian 36.5 (2009): 36-40. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. Freeman, Lee A., and Andrew Urbaczewski. "Why Do People Hate Spyware?" Communications Of The ACM 48.8 (2005): 50-53. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. Householder, Allen, and Mindi McDowell. “Security Tip (ST05-002).” Keeping Children Safe Online. US Department of Homeland Security, 16 Feb. 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2013 Lehman, James. "Newsletter Signup." Empowering Parents. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. Poston, Robin, Thomas F. Stafford, and Amy Hennington. "Software: A View From The (Online) Street." Communications Of The ACM 48.8 (2005): 96-99. Academic Search Premier. Web. 21 Mar. 2013. "Stop Cyber bullying Before It Starts." NCPC.com. National Crime Prevention Council, n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.