We need privacy too

Children do deserve around the same amount of rights to privacy as adults but with rules suited to their age to protect them and help them grow up. The important thing in this issue is the fact that privacy is a human right. It is not since you are younger that you are not worthy of privacy, independence, and respect. Children, the same as adults, also have thoughts, feelings, and personal experiences which might not necessarily be shared with everyone or even parents, instructors, or people. Privacy for children helps them build confidence, trust others, and understand themselves.

I remember when I was a child I had a private diary. It was where I could write down my own feelings without anyone seeing. When my parents read it without permission, I felt hurt and didn’t want to tell tell them all of my private stuff. What this taught me is how important even minor breaches of privacy effect someone emotionally and someone’s trust in adults as a kid can be damaged. Even as a child we understand privacy and trust but that doesn’t mean children understand the dangers of the outside world.

Children are still developing good judgment. They must have an amount of privacy but not independence. Parents and guardians have very important roles to play in directing them, especially where safety is involved. For example, a parent checking what their child is up to online to make sure that they are safe from inappropriate content is not the same as reading all the messages out of curiosity. The purpose is meant to help children learn to keep their own privacy and that of others safe, not for them to dictate children.

In short, children must be granted the same privacy as adults but with the balance of protection and guidance they need because of their age. Respect for children’s privacy is not giving up parenting duties, but rather assisting them in their independence, the ability to trust others, and being there for their wellbeing

“Facebook: The privacy saga continues” by opensourceway is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.