Quote from trendlover:
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Really? You want to be dictator and spy? Why do YOU think YOUR kids can not have your trust?
If you are my father I will buy my own phone.
Wow, of all the stupid comments you have ever made (and there have been too many to count) this is, by far, the most asinine.
A good parent is not a friend to his/her kid. A good parent, is a parent. That means bringing up your child in a way that you believe will protect them in the long run. Children haven't earned the right to be "on their own", and as such, have to follow certain rules until trust is earned. My father would "toss my room" unannounced on occasions, just like a drill sergeant. We didn't have the internet and cell phones, but no where was there privacy in my room. I remember going pale when he yanked a playboy from my closet (under my shoe box) and looked at it for a moment. "This doesn't bother me, boy." he said as he tossed it back in the closet. He was looking for drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, etc. He never found any. Eventually, he stopped ransacking my room because he came to me one day and said "I'm proud of you, son. You've earned my trust." Of course, after that I knew it was safe to hide shit

But I never had drugs or anything illegal. He raised me right.
My friend is going through this dilemma right now, as he let his 15 year old daughter have her own privacy on her cell phone. That is, until he found out that she had been sending nude texts to her boyfriend.
You cannot give a child the right to police themselves until they have shown they are a responsible adult.
I maintain, you, are a fucking idiot.