Parents Talk

Parents Talk: Should You Track Your Kids with GPS?

Phone apps and other GPS devices let parents—or schools—follow a child's every movement.

Is it OK for parents to use GPS devices or phone apps to track their children? Advice columnist Amy Dickinson told a father this month she adamantly opposes such tracking: I am completely, totally and utterly opposed to installing tracking or monitoring technology on kids' devices without their knowledge. ... You cannot use technology to mitigate the work (or risks) of parenting. ... You should confirm their whereabouts the old-fashioned way—by getting to know their friends, calling other parents to verify plans, and by driving them from place to place and occasionally showing up early. But another newspaper columnist wrote this week she found a way around her own initial concerns: We were initially apprehensive about doing this; we didn’t…

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Latz Endorses Controversial Broadband Service

The St. Louis Park legislator said it will bring broadband access to more people and mitigate rising cell phone costs.

St. Louis Park Sen. Ron Latz (DFL-District 44) has entered a nationwide fight over a proposed broadband service that uses both satellites and traditional cellular towers. Trade publication Television Broadcast reports that Latz endorsed Reston, VA-based LightSquared as a way to bring broadband to all income levels.  “Households with incomes below $20,000 have access to broadband at less than one-third the rate of households over $75,000,” he said in his filing. “Yet access to broadband is increasingly important for all Americans to actively participate in the workforce.” GPS manufacturers and users oppose LightSquared’s plans because tests earlier this year found that the company’s land-based towers interfere with GPS signals.

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