Exploring children's perspectives on parental surveillance in Belgium

Abstract

Academics have warned against the normalization of invasive monitoring of children. Limited effort, however, has focused on the perspective of children and their preferences. In this article, we shift our attention to children's view on parental surveillance. Using an in-depth interview study with 31 children (aged 9 to 12) we found how new media and surveillance technology, somewhat paradoxically, may actually pave the way to more autonomy and privacy. Our results show no constant parental surveillance, let alone a complete internalization of the parental gaze. More than a normalization of parental surveillance, there is an expectation for parents to always be available when needed. Overall, our research underscores the importance of prioritizing children's agency and voices, rather than assuming that they are subject to a totalizing and constant surveillance experience.