It’s true that location tracking and sharing has become a normal part of family life for young people and their parents. For older Gen Z, YPulse data has shown it’s common to share their locations with their friends and family, whether through Apple’s Find My or Snap Maps. And for young parents, location tracking has become just as routine. The explosion of Life360 has turned the real-time location sharing app into an everyday parenting tool rather than emergency feature. But they don’t feel like helicopter parents. Instead, location tracking is often framed as a way to grant kids more independence while still keepinga safety net in place, whether that’s checking in during a school day or navigating a crowded amusement park. But as these tools become more embedded in daily life, the line between safety and surveillance starts to blur. The discourse came to a head last August, right in time for back to school season, when Skechers released kids’ sneakers with a hidden compartment for an Apple...
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