My (15f) parents made me get Life360 and it just makes me uncomfortable. I’m not a crazy teen and whenever my parents ask for my location I send it to them, and I’m fine with sending my location every night if that’s what they want, but there is something about Life360. It feels like I don’t have my parents trust and also the fact that I can’t turn it off. I don’t like feeling monitored to check where I am and I would rather just be asked. How do I explain this in a way that doesn’t seem like I don’t want Life360 just so I can sneak out?
How to explain I don’t like Life360 to parents
r/Advice
Comments
Try explaining how it impacts your trust and independence. Emphasize open communication instead.
I actually encouraged my mom to download Life360 when I started going out a lot as a way to gain her trust. I think extra safety precautions are fine to have especially with a young daughter.
As a young(ish) female teen, you are a target for bad men. Your parents are likely interested in your safety and ensuring that while they allow you freedom, Life360 gives them some level of assurance you are safe and can be found if something goes wrong.
As an older person (40s) I’m on the fence on this one.
Growing up, in our teens before cell phones we’d all, as a group of teen buds (guys n gals) go off for a night or two even to a cabin in the woods. Come home on Sunday and that was it.
Maybe the world was less dangerous then, or the tech just wasn’t there. Same time my parents did not give a shit where I was, but a couple of my friends definitely would have had this if available.
At least try to understand that this eases their minds, knowing your safe. Same time a text with a code word oy you three know could do that. At 15 I guess I can see them worrying a lot, if you were 18, nah. It also depends on how responsible you are, which from your post you sound like your doing okay.
Having said all that, I’ve never been a Dad. I’d probably want it used as well because I would worry so much about my kids.
You are a minor, you have no valid argument as to why you shouldn’t have the app. Until you become an adult your wellbeing is their responsibility. It’s not unreasonable to want to know where you are at all times. Kids lie, especially to their parents, I’m not saying that you do, just that it happens. Better safe than sorry. I don’t think them wanting you to have the app is about not trusting you, it’s more peace of mind.
My mom asked me to download it when I was 20 and put me in a group with her and my stepdad, she had her alerts set so that she got a notification whenever he or I got home. At first I thought the same thing as you, but it wasn’t until 5 months in when I got a text as I stepped out of my car from my mom saying “welcome home, good night, love you”, that I even remembered I had the app installed. You can chose to see this as your parents not trusting you, or you can choose to see it as a useful tool that lets you know your family made it home safe. Now that I’ve grown up a bit I’m actually glad to have it, it’s nice knowing that the people I care about are safe. I’m not a parent yet but if I ever do become one this is one of the first apps I’m putting in my kids phone no arguments.
You have parents who care about you, just establish clear boundary’s around how they track you. Like tell them not to comment on where they see you, and to not use the app to meet up with you without asking first, that kind of stuff. I promise this isn’t as big a deal as you want it to be.
Unless ur parents are really overbearing; the benefits of life360 outweigh any cons. Id try to look at the upsides.