Mum says she's allowed to look through children's phones because she pays for them
A mum has spoken out about why she thinks it's justified she confiscates and snoops through her teenagers' phones.
The amount of arguments I used to have with my mum about why I should be allowed to keep my phone on my bedside table at night rather than leaving it downstairs, or why I wouldn't be taking the password off because I knew she'd have a peep - it happened on a weekly basis.
It's a contentious topic - how much freedom you should give your child in their relationship with technology.
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The internet can be a dark and dangerous place, children able to more easily fall victim to scams, inappropriate messages and trends.
Overuse of mobile phones can result in late nights and grumpy teenagers, with social media very addictive in nature and potentially damaging to one's mental health.
However, one mum's answer to this is to hell with any privacy at all.
Laura Muse, from Greensboro, North Carolina, confiscates her 15-year-old son Cohen's phone when he goes to bed at around 11:30pm.
As well as confiscating her son's phone at night, Laura goes onto her son and her 17-year-old daughter Kylie's phones and checks their personal messages and social media accounts.
The mum has since explained why she feels like she has the right to sift through her children's phone whenever she so chooses.
Speaking to the New York Post, the 41-year-old mum and mental health clinician acknowledged some people 'might think [checking her teen's phones] is a sign of disrespect or an invasion of their privacy'.
However, ultimately she argued it's how she has decided to 'manage [her] ship'.
Laura resolved: "I own their phones, I pay for the phones. I can go through them whenever I want."
In return for their mum paying for their mobile devices, Cohen and Kylie - who have had their phones since the age of 11 - have to submit their phones to checks.
The checks have gotten less - Laura only checking a few times a year opposed to on a weekly basis when her children were younger - and ultimately, the mental health physician's children have gotten used to it.
Laura has previously discovered her son to be using inappropriate language on Instagram and posting topless images.
"If I do find something that’s an issue, we talk about it and turn it into a teachable moment," Muse reasons. "I’m not perfect, I don’t expect my children to be perfect, but it’s important to keep an eye on things."
The topic has been heavily debated on TikTok, with parents and children alike taking to the platform to argue their case.
"Checking your kids phone is a invasion of privacy and shows you don’t trust them they will never open up to you ever again," one user argued.
Another wrote: "My daughter had to turn her phone in every night at bedtime & yes i looked at it. it’s for their protection."
Ultimately, each side has a valid point.
Poppy Bilderbeck