Saturday, September 11, 2010

GPS Can Keep An Eye on Your Teen

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/cQRuV)
Article Written by Gregg Bartlett

When a child turns sixteen, parents step into a whole new world. Teen tracking can help them make the adjustment from youth to teenage years with less upheaval in the family and emotional status quo. Teens like to assert independence, and a driver’s license  is their ticket into the world of adulthood. Americans traditionally value cultivating that independence, but changes in the world means that parents face many fears that cause them to hold back. GPS tracking technology is a positive change that can parents keep an eye on teenagers.

Teenagers may not like to admit it, but their parents do influence them, and surveys reveal that the greatest influence on teen driving habits is their parents. If parents can convince their teens that they really do believe safe driving is important, their teens will listen. Reforming their own driving habits is the first critical step for parents, who need to give their teens a good example. The next step is monitoring their teens and rewarding good driving, and this is where GPS teen tracking comes into play.



Tracking devices can be easily attached to any car, and the information collected can be extremely useful for parents. The device becomes a miniature chaperon, allowing the young person to go places and spend time with friends while still keeping their parents updated on their activities and whereabouts. The GPS tracking device communicates with satellites to record where the car is at any given time. Then software coordinates that information and relays to parents what they choose to be alerted to, such as when the car exceeds the speed limit or when the car goes to particular locations.

Like any technology, a GPS tracker only does good if it is used properly. Parents should increase or decrease the intensity of their monitoring based on their child’s performance. If the teenager shows consistently that he can handle a certain level of independence, parents can ease up on the frequency of when they check in on their son or daughter. On the other hand, if the teenager is breaking traffic laws or going to off-limits places, parents may need to monitor more closely.

Keeping  children safe while allowing them to expand their horizons is a tricky balancing act for parents. GPS teen tracking can assist parents as their children move through a, sometimes scary, but always-exciting stage of life. It’s a less-intrusive way to keep tabs on young drivers, leading to rewards for parents and teens alike.

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