Mum defends tracking her children with Apple AirTags
Topics: US News, Technology, TikTok, Social media
Dominic Smithers
Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@stevensfam
Topics: US News, Technology, TikTok, Social media
While most parents give their kids mobile phones to keep them safe, one woman has actually started tagging hers.
Vada Stevens, from North Carolina, says it's worth being called 'crazy' to make sure her daughters are alright.
In a video to her TikTok account, she revealed that she's gone to lengths some parents wouldn't dream of.
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It was captioned: “Today we are dog training."
Showing her two children wearing the bracelets, Stevens says: "I saw a TikTok about a mom who puts Apple AirTags in bracelets on her kids and I thought it was the coolest thing.
"You can find them on Amazon and you can track them and make a beeping noise.
"And you can train your kids to come when they hear the beeping noise."
She then shows the little girls, four and two, running back to her through the house after receiving the beep.
"You beeped for us," they say.
While another asks: "What did you need?"
Now, as you might expect, this wasn't everyone's cup of tea; as some felt that it was just going a step too far in the name of safety.
"I love that she said 'train' instead of 'teach'," joked one.
Another commented: "They're not dogs, WTF."
"This is sad," put a third.
While someone else added: "It's giving shock collar vibes."
However, there were other parents who said that they did the same thing with their children.
"I put these in my daughter's clothes so it's not visible," said one.
The AirTags can be attached to virtually anything, and work by sending a signal back to the 'Find My App' on iPhones and Apple watches.
And speaking to Today, Stevens has doubled down on it, saying it's worth it for her peace of mind.
While her kids are homeschooled, she gets them to wear their bracelets when they go to their grandparents or out for a day trip.
The 41-year-old said: "I am extremely paranoid about everything (related to) safety. I thought the bracelets were genius.
"Instead of calling my parents to say, 'Where are you?' I check the AirTags.
"I want to make sure that if anything were to happen, I can track my kids immediately."
Stevens says she is particularly worried about her youngest, Serena, who she says is a flight risk.
"My 2-year-old doesn't pay attention and runs off so if she happens to get lost, (the AirTag) is a perfect way to find her ... it just takes one second to look away from your kid and they’re off in a crowd somewhere," she added.
"I don't care if people think I'm crazy. In this day and age, you can't ever be too protective.
"People think I'm a crazy mom — one even said I needed to sign my child up for therapy ... I'm doing this to prevent my children from ever being taken or lost. I'm going to do my best to know exactly where they are."