A friend of mine asked me if I would install a GPS chip in my child if I could. I immediately thought "no." It's a lil too "big brother" for my taste and we've managed alright without one so far.
There would certainly be perks to having such technology like being able to locate children if they went missing. In that sense, it seems like a no brainer. The mysteries of Caylee Anthony and Madeline McCann might already be solved if the girls had such chips. But, I have a hard time believing most parents would use such information on a "need to know" basis. If a teenage girl goes to prom and misses curfew by an hour, her father might be tempted to log on and see where she and her date are spending the evening. In instances like these, I think the chip would hinder a child's ability to flourish as the gift of independence and trust is not entirely granted.
Would you consider implanting a GPS chip into your child's body? Why or why not?
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Shudoo
Club des Crﾎateurs de Beautﾎ
Charles Tyrwhitt
No. Anyone who takes them would just want to cut it out.
1I think if its only accessed for emergency purpose's it would be okay.
2If it had an autolife for a certain time period, like 5 years, I absolutely would.
3Wow. This is way too 1984 for my taste. Seriously. Slippery slope much? I mean, maybe we could allll have these installed for our "safety." Maybe your boss might want to know where you are if you take too long returning from your lunch break...maybe your spouse might like to know where you are if you take too long returning from the supermarket. Ugh.
At the end of the day, there is and will always be uncertainty in the world. No one can protect their children from everything, and I don't believe that children can grow if they're not given any independence at all.
4I'm not sure if it smacks more of 1984 or WWII tattooing numbers on prisoners' arms. Sure it would track my child on the chance that they were abducted but at what cost?
5If we are willing to deny our own childrens' civil liberties, where can it logically end?
6I'd prefer getting my child one of those GPS cell phones. The likelihood of my child getting abducted is pretty low but the likelihood of me freaking out if he/she seems like they've been out riding bikes (or whatever) for too long. And since its not implanted, they can grow out of that stage when they're older.
7It sounds like a great idea but unfortunately, if it became a common practice, wouldn't kidnappers, etc. just learn how to deactive them or remove them?
8First I'm sure I could never afford this device; second it's a little creepy; and then we have the health issue, because I'm sure 10 years down the road it would end up being traced as fault to some kind of serious health risk as is everything else in this world down to our tupperware. But I'm sure if for any reason my child went missing (knock on wood) I would beat the crap out of myself knowing that there was such a thing available.
9You know it may be a slippery slope, but I'd do it in a heartbeat if it was offered. I have a special needs child. A special needs child that can be prone to wandering. And two other children. My nightmares revolve around losing his hand for a second and him being gone. Plus you throw the scariness of kidnapping or pedophiles into it. He's totally innocent, he has no ability to fight someone off. Would I do it? Absolutely, I wouldn't think twice.
10Greggie - how is a GPS tracking device the equivalent of a targeted genocide?
I think I understand what you're getting, but I hardly think the comparison is tactful or mindful of the differences between a parent-made decision and the systematic branding and slaughtering of over 6 million people.
11Wow! Of course I want to keep my child safe, but implanting a GPS chip in their body is not the way to do it. Secrethoughts and Anniekim - I agree 100%
12I didn't say it was the same as genocide, I said it reminded me of the ID tattooing.
1354% people said yes.
If that's not disturbing, I don't know what is.
You have absolutely no right to exercise this sort of control over any individual, regardless of whether they are your child or otherwise.
I agree that this is very 1984, and I'm horrified that so many "land of the free" Americans would be in favor of it. It's a disgusting infringement on a person's rights. Shame on you.
14Secretthoughts, Anniekim, and hithatsmybike I completely agree. It is a total infringement on rights. I am SHOCKED that there are so many people who would be in favor of this!
I can't even begin to imagine the health issues either.
Robinfabulous-- you could sew the same sort of chip into your son's trousers.
15Also, I think it's illogical to use Caylee Anthony as an example. Her mother almost certainly had something to do with with her disappearance and probable death. As the mother, she would've known Caylee had the chip and where it was, so she would've just been able to further torture her daughter by removing it and discarding.
16When I have children, I would never allow a GPS device to be implanted into them. When they are little to 12 maybe a GPS watch or necklace of some sort; They are young and still haven't grasped some skills for protection. However that is removable and once they get older you need to learn trust and take them to a self defense class so they can be independent. Implanting a GPS is way too 1984 scenerio for my liking.
17Tracking people through the skin and even with our technology makes me think of the devil. Many people survived without cell phones, tracking devices for their children, computers way before us so why can't we do it? We become dependent and in the long run, lazy, IMHO.
18absolutely! i have a special needs child and the terror that comes over you when they are suddenly "gone" cannot be described. i guess i look at things differently, having a child that has had such a rough go of it. anything that would give me piece of mind; nothing else matters in the equation. i remember one specific incident where i actually had an "that's it. she's gone and we'll never know what happened to her" moment. it was agony. for one of my children to just dissapear and not know what because of them, i'd go insane.
19And what about when they grow up and leave home? Can they go and get the chip removed? This is a little intrusive for my tastes, sorry. You should never microchip a human being like you would a DOG.
20I have to disagree with most of you on this one. Having followed the Madeline McCann case I think it makes perfect sense. The chances of finding an abducted child alive and well drop dramatically after 24 hours. Consider how many children are abducted each year. I bet all their parents thought it would never happen to them but it did. Its certainly the lessor evil IMO. To my knowledge, the device is implanted pretty easily and can be removed. If I lived a high profile life or even won the lottery ( chances of either pretty darn slim I know) then I wouldn't think twice about. The piece of mind that would come from knowing that my child would be easily and quickly located would far outweigh any "Big Brother" bashers objections!
21In the case of a wandering child, a GPS could be attached to their shoe, on an anklet, etc.
Another thing that could have been crucial in the McCann case? Not leaving three small children totally unattended in a hotel room. That's another thing I can see being a huge drawback of this - hey, my child's asleep, I can run to the store. If they get up and wander, I can just use my handy dandy GPS tracker I surgically installed under their skin.
22as if children never take off articles of clothing. and as for when they "grow up", my disabled child will be 18 months forever. this has a place in society. just because there might be some parents who abuse it doesn't mean it shouldn't be made available for the rest of us that would use it for another safety net.
23I like the idea of a GPS watch or bracelet. I don't think implanting it into the body is very neccessary.
24I agree with it for like what Lickety Split and Robin Fabulous describe. But those seem to be special circumstances. I don't agree with it for everyone however. I know for sure I would not want one for my son.
25I wish I could be as blisfully unaware as some of you. My child may never live by himself. He's as innocent and harmless as an infant. He would have no protection whatsoever if someone took him for foul purposes. He wouldn't even know to fight back! Would I microchip him? IN A SECOND. I hope most people NEVER know the terror that goes along with having this kind of child. I can barely take him to the grocery store. Finally, at almost 7 we're taking him to Disney World with enough adults that there will be one person whos job will be to keep their hands on him. He's big, he's strong, and he's helpless. Could someone with bad intentions remove his clothing? Of course! Could they remove a microchip that most people wouldn't even imagine he had? Chances are no...
26My husband actually asked me if we could take our son to our dogs vet and get OUR SON micro chipped. He thought it would be cool. I kinda agree. But emergency use is best just like with our animals. It gives u a piece of mind. especial with the casy anthony's out there are just killing/selling, there children. Or trenten duckett's mom who hid/killed her son then her killed self.
27THERE WOULD BE NO MORE MISSING CHILDREN.
YES i would but i would want a task force to have the ability to find my child. I believe parents would use it to much, it should only be used in an emergency how many children would be alive to day if they could have been found immediately. The hope would be that the perp would not have time to find or cut out the GPS. Even if they did they did not kidnap your child to play your chances to find your child would be better./ This week there is three missing children one found dead today. It is a sick world and we need to protect are children.
28ok you people that thing that a GPS tracking device for children are IDIOTS... do you not have children? or is it that you think "it could never happen to me"... that meaning your child get kidnapped!! Are you kidding me?? sure people would abuse it... what do people not abuse but dont punish us who would use it for the times when over 8 hundred thousand people went missing last year.. when one of those times happen to be our children!! you are naive to say this devise shouldnt be used and available... and for whoever said it would probably be linked to some disease... what isnt?? I will be one of the first in line when this is availabe because i love my child and if some creep wants to take him I will find him in a few minutes and save his life... when it happens to your children... i think you will think twice about this device and wish you had it.
29Listen! all of yo against this saying that is "so crazy" and how you would "never" do it i think would feel a little differently when it is your child. i would think you would go dang i wish i could call a number and the police could go pick up my child. and as we all are able to, when we are 18 we can make our own choices and we could have it removed. we used to survive without this because in the last 20 years kidnappings and missing persons have increased 500 percent... 500 PERCENT. I think all of those family members wish that their loved ones had it implanted. im an adult and i do nothing wrong i.e. cheating on my spouse etc... i wouldnt care if someone wanted to know where i was nor am i married to someone that owuld abuse this. All of you against this and your kids get abducted i think you should be put in jail for negligance... period. Thats like saying well the carseat in that crash could have saved my child BUT i didnt want him to have to be fastened into something and my child shouldnt wear his seat belt when he gets his drivers license because thats his decision as an adult. its denying another step to protect our children from predators... who denies that?
30read the book of Revelation!! The mark of the beast! Scary to even begin to think about
31I think I am All For this I have a 5 yo son and i just think about all these cases on tv about missing kids, think about how many kids lives could have been saved! And as far as how i raise my child they have no privacy till there out of my house not even 18, my house my rules!!
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