There’s being a protective parent, and then there’s crossing a line so hard it disappears. One Missouri mom has shocked the internet after her teenage daughter revealed that she’s being watched inside her own bedroom, all under the guise of “safety.”
What began as a parent’s attempt to monitor her child during the pandemic has spiraled into something far more unsettling. Years later, the camera still sits in the girl’s room, a constant reminder that she doesn’t have a space to call her own. And when the Missouri teen finally gathered the courage to ask for her privacy back, her mom’s response was nothing short of chilling.
Image Source:@dple3/Reddit
The teen, frustrated and humiliated, shared her story on Reddit. When poster @dple3 said that her mom threatened that she should be “grateful,” there wasn’t a camera in the bathroom. It wasn’t a joke, and it wasn’t the first time she’d brought up the issue. She says she’s been asking her mother to remove the device for years. However, instead of empathy, the young girl has been met with hostility and threats.
Even worse, she doesn’t even have a bedroom door to separate herself from the rest of the house. For her, the camera isn’t just about being watched. It’s about losing every bit of privacy a growing teenager needs. Whether or not the camera records doesn’t matter. The psychological toll of feeling constantly monitored is damaging enough.
While parents have the right to supervise minors, the law draws a firm line when it comes to surveillance in private areas like bedrooms or bathrooms. Hidden or visible cameras in these spaces can quickly slide into criminal territory, depending on what’s captured and how it’s used. Legal experts often warn that even “non-recording” devices can still violate privacy expectations. Especially when used without consent.
Parenting Versus Control
In this case, the unfortunate teen’s situation sits in a murky gray area. She’s still a minor, but she’s clearly being subjected to behavior that many would call invasive and abusive. Commenters online were quick to label the mom’s actions as “unhinged,” “controlling,” and “psychologically damaging.”
And honestly? They’re not wrong. Parenting isn’t about constant surveillance. It’s about communication, boundaries, and trust. Watching a teenager sleep through a camera isn’t protecting her. It’s teaching her that she doesn’t deserve privacy.
“This is genuinely disturbing behavior from a parent. Framing the absence of a camera in the bathroom as a “privilege” is a massive red flag for control issues,” one concerned commenter writes.
“They just crossed a line,” another notes.
“Break it. Just rip it straight down and step on it. This is an absolutely intolerable invasion of privacy of the highest order by someone lacking boundaries. It’s time to teach them,” one more adds.
Until she turns 18, the Missouri teen may have little legal control over her situation. Still, outside intervention from family or trusted adults might help pressure the mom to remove the device and restore a shred of normalcy.
A parent’s duty is to protect their child, not monitor them like a suspect. Cameras don’t build trust. They destroy it. This Missouri teen’s story should serve as a wake-up call for every parent tempted to blur the line between supervision and surveillance. Because once privacy is gone, it’s not something you can just turn off with a switch.
Nina Franklin 
Hunter Spears 
Casey James 
