privacy?

In this, the age of the internet, there are a lot of concerns about privacy. especially for the under 18 crowd out there. Kids are willing to put information including their name, where they live, what they look like, who they are friends with, where they go to school, ect ect ect on countless websites like Myspace and Facebook and even the ones that are careful by making their profiles "private" or "friends only" are raising concern with parents around the country.

This is a hard debate.

American Heritage Dictionary Defines Privacy as thus...

1.The quality or condition of being secluded from the presence or view of others.
2.The state of being free from unsanctioned intrusion: a person's right to privacy.
3.The state of being concealed; secrecy.

The first, obviously meaning bascially being a hermit to society
the second and third are more what I am concerned with here.

A person's RIGHT to privacy?

I have always taken issue with the word "right"
We have the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
But who gives us said rights? God, I suppose, for surely the Government does not.
So does God also give us the right to privacy?

No.
Essentially, we as adults, set our own limits on our rights to privacy. what we chose to share we do, and what we chose to keep private, we have the right to maintain it as thus... unless of course you are applying for a job, gaining security clerence, in a relationship... in these cases keeping certain things you wish to remain private can be seen as hiding or secretavie and this is frowned upon.

But for Children (or rather minors I suppose would be the more correct term)
Privacy is garnerd by their parents. As it is in most things they do.
Is this right?

I have no idea.

My boss was discussing with me finding condoms and lube in the bedroom of her 14 year old freshman in high school son and immedietly grounding him, deleting his myspace, and removing the items. she informed me of this because she seemed at a loss for what else to do.

Was she invading his privacy?

Any parent will easily tell you no. A child's room is part of the house the parent owns and the parent essentially, in simple terms, owns the child as well so they have every right to search through their personal affects.

I have a hard time with this notion. It is used often by parents snooping through rooms, diaries, online pages and such to find out about a child's involvement in drugs, sex, alcohol, or even non-illegal activities. just to monitor their life.

Is this big-brotherish? or just a parent's right...or even responsibility to keep the child safe?
Where do you draw the line when it comes to privacy?

If a child knows that everything they do is subject to being found will they ever write private thoughts down? Isn't writing in a journal seen as a very positive tool for helping work out your inner turmoils? Will they feel alienated and untrusted by their parents? Will they try these things in more dangerous environments to avoid being caught at home?

What are the rules of privacy when it comes to children?

Is there a right or wrong way to do things?