Trick or… Tracker? That’s right, tracker. Trick or Tracker is a cell phone app, designed to keep track of where children are going when they are trick or treating. However, the app is not limited to Halloween.
In fact, Trick or Tracker is one of many apps that has the ability to keep track of children, or anyone else for that matter. Other apps include MobileMe and Lookout Mobile Security. They all serve the same purpose: to follow where a child (or anyone else) is with a simple touch of a button.
This device works on phones that have GPS-like abilities. The way the devices work is that the tracking app is downloaded onto the phone that a person wants to track. From there, a person may track the location of the phone via internet or another smart phone. Some of these devices also allow the tracker to view call lists and texts also.
The apps also have “geo-fences” which make them more children specific. If children go out of a certain region, the parent will receive a text message notifying them. The main purpose of these apps is to allow parents to keep track of their children, especially on Halloween.
One of the pros of this app is that parents don’t need to tag along with their children to know they are safe. The cons of this app are that the child you are tracking needs to have a phone and it depends on whether or not you think a seven-year old deserves to have a phone. It even seems as if more trust is in an app than in your children.
FVHS students have been asked to give their opinion on this app.
Emily Lam ’13 says, “If parents are attentive and responsible enough, they wouldn’t need to keep track of their kids on Halloween. What’s wrong with good, old-fashioned watching them? The only time I’d feel it’s not lazy/inattentive for parents to use the app, is if they have 10 kids or something. That’s too many to keep track of.”
Darcy Le ’13 says, “I actually think this is only useful in extreme emergency situations where a child runs away or gets kidnapped, it’ll be helpful to have a tracking device for investigators to search. But otherwise, no, it’s not that great because it lessens the amount of trust between a child and a parent. Especially, if the parent calls the child to check up on him or her and thinks their child is lying.”
