Helicopter Parents

A literal interpretation of Helicopter Parents

As second semester of Junior year rapidly approaches, myself and many of my peers are beginning to feel the pressure of the college search. As cheesy as this may sound, for many of us, college will be a time where we can embark on a new chapter of our lives (away from our parents at last!) But what would you do if you felt like your parents were interfering too much on your "new life"?

A few days ago, my dad showed me an article that he wanted to hear my take on. The article described how a college student, Aubrey Ireland, felt that her parents were too involved in her life that she actually won a court case that put a restraining order on her parents. According to the article, Aubrey's parents set up tracking software on her phone and computer to see who she had been talking to and what sites she was visiting. Already, this seems a little bit ridiculous. The student is an adult, living away from home so why should her parents feel the need to monitor her every action? If this isn't enough, her parents would also drive nearly 600 miles from their home to arrive unannounced at the college and go to some of their daughters theater performances. The parents justified their actions by saying that they were worried that Aubrey was using illegal drugs,was being promiscuous, and was having mental issues. Aubrey denied these allegations and said that everything was under control. She wanted to experience life on her own and if she were to make the wrong decisions, then the consequences would fall on her.

As Americans, I feel like our society puts a large emphasis on privacy. Everyone has the right to keep information or parts of their lives hidden, This case is especially interesting because it deals with the relationship between parents and child. These helicopter parents seem to have good intentions but where should the line be drawn?