Privacy and children

Privacy is a relatively new concept. About 150 years old.

In medieval or ancient times, it didn’t exist. Communal spaces were the norm. Everyone slept in the same bed. No separate rooms. No walls. Nowhere to hide.

The “right” to privacy only emerged in the 19th century. At first, it was about physical space: your home, your study, your desk.

Today, the boundary has shifted. It’s no longer about where you are, but what you share. The digital age hasn’t just changed the rules; it has transformed the definition.

Children have privacy rights, too. Legally, they start at 18. But children start “feeling” the need for it around age six.

As parents, we dance a fine line. We balance monitoring with the space they need to grow.

But are the apps and games they use doing the same? Are they balancing? Or are they just monitoring?

The dictionary says privacy is “the state of being apart from observation.”

If someone is always watching, is the child ever truly alone?