Parents constantly track 18-year-old college freshman's phone, expect him to be in bed by 10 PM every night: 'My mother called while I was out clubbing, and when I didn't pick up she called my school's police dispatch'

Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor

Sep 2, 2024 6:00 PM EDT

College is one of the best times in a young person's life for one reason: freedom. When you're a kid, you are afforded very few freedoms. You cannot go wherever you want to go or do whatever you want to do. You must be home when your parents want you home, adhere to their rules, and be happy about it. Although that's an understandable hierarchical situation in hindsight, it doesn't make it any less of a bummer for the kid.

When I first went to college, I was emboldened by my new freedom and did an extracurricular activity nearly every night of the week. I couldn't imagine how devastating it would be if my parents, living states away, tracked my location and told me I couldn't go to the humor magazine hangout at the late-night donut shop at 11 PM. That's exactly what these parents did in this story, and it's horrifying.