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Monitor Children with Spyware in The Undercover Parents by by Harlan Coben

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The Undercover Parent The title of the essay is The Undercover Parents, which was written by Harlan Coben. The essay was published on the 16th of March, 2008. In the essay, Coben presents his main ideas and thoughts regarding the use of spyware by parents to monitor children. He says that installing a spyware on the computer used by children, especially those in the teenage years, can help parents track what actually their children view on computers. In the essay, the author says that while it is quite hard to follow up on children while they are away from home and this causes parents to be so worried, installing spyware on the computers in the house really helps. Coben says that the program allows parents to keep track of the children …show more content…

Coben says that this is usually through the social networks, which many children visit on computers. He gives an example of how a boy and a girl finally committed suicide after being bullied on the internet. Coben says that through the spyware, parents get to know hidden acts and intentions of their children. The author says that generally parents have good intentions toward their child and so they "start conversations and be a safety net" (p.22) for their children. The essay provides very helpful hints to parents in child rearing. Coben gives vital ideas on how parents can track their children and uncover unhealthy behaviours, which may be destroyers in life. He also warns parents of being too involved in children’s affairs as it results in strained relationships. Coben also encourages parents to stay calm and open up to their children that they are actually spying on them. The ideas presented in the essay are very helpful and instructional for parents. In as much as the essay presents valid arguments on the advantages of spyware, Coben fails to give reasons as to why it should not be installed. This makes the essay biased on installation of the program. In conclusion, the essay presents important ideas on reasons for installing spyware on computers. The program is helpful for parents in tracking children’s behaviour and putting necessary security measures. However, the author does not give

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