The Changes in Childhood

Some parents are using tracking devices meant for keys to keep tabs on kids too young for smartphones. 

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Apple AirTags are not meant to track your kids. But that’s exactly how some parents are using them. In backpacks, on wristbands, they are making it so parents worried about introducing their children to a smartphone can access their child’s location in case something goes wrong.

And AirTags aren’t the only tech marketed toward the fear of parents. There are flip phones, watches and other devices marketed specifically for making sure your child is accounted for. 

Technology reporter Heather Kelly wanted to look into this as her own son heads into the fourth grade and searches for more independence. She’ll uncover how the tech works, its pitfalls and the ethics of tracking your children.