I’m a parent of a 12-year-old who’s getting more and more into social media, and I’m torn between keeping an eye on their online activity and respecting their growing independence - I’ve already set up some parental controls, but I’m not sure if I should be going through their messages and apps without their knowledge.
At 12, you’re usually better off skipping the stealth mode—most “secret” monitoring apps still need you to physically hold the phone to install them and bypass modern OS permissions, and half those premium promises are just marketing fluff anyway. I’d stick with the controls you already have, tell your kid they’re running so you don’t accidentally blow up trust later, and only dig into messages if something actually trips a safety alert.