Well, they will not take to it kindly, that’s for sure. But they will only take it as unkindly as they take you asking them about school, where they’re going, imposing curfews, asking them about their date, or telling them when to turn off the computer and go to bed. Using key logging software is not very different from this. It follows with the idea of knowing where your kids are going, who their friends are, and if they’re indulging in something that could get them into trouble. However, it does get a little different in the sense that instead of simply asking them about whom they are talking to or where they’re going – you actually tap the phone lines or follow them around. This might hit you a little hard, but that’s how it is.
However, you also need to consider that there is a greater possibility of your kids getting into trouble on the Internet than when they are on the phone or “hanging out†with friends. By and large, you will always have some idea and control of where they may be going to meet their friends or who they are talking to on the phone. However, the Internet is a totally different ball game.
The only thing that might bother your kids about you using key logging software is the implication that you really don’t trust them. At this point – there’s a choice to be made. While parents want to make their kids feel trustworthy, it is also wise to remember that you’re still responsible for the mess they might make. As such, it is best to have such software installed up until the time that your kids are still in school and still kids. When they are only just beginning to discover the Internet and may fall for many of its devices. Once your kids become familiar with the Internet – its benefits and more importantly its threats – you should reconsider the use of such software. By this time, they are usually old enough to be entitled to their privacy and logging their action on the Internet at this time does not seem acceptable, although “better safe than sorry” are some very wise words.
