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With social media and technology being a core part of Gen Z life, teens are finding themselves constantly leaning into new trends. While some have obvious risks, others aren’t quite so black and white.
“Fambushing” is one of the latest trends that comes with a bit of controversy, as it literally entails teens tracking their parents’ location and then just showing up.
So, in a way, it’s a quirky way of stalking their parents (or other family), thus the combination of “fam” for “family” and “bush” for “ambush.” It’s the act of using a phone or other device to ambush family.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Why Do Teens ‘Fambush’?
Teens enjoy this trend for a combination of reasons, including the amusement of getting a shocked reaction from family, posting a reaction video on social media and/or “catching” their parents doing something they didn’t want their teen to know about.
There’s also the incentive of getting revenge on parents that regularly monitor their teens’ movements.
Either way, when it comes to “fambushing,” there’s been quite a few viral videos on social media that have inspired more and more teens to plan their own “fambush,” sometimes posting it on social media whether parents like it or not.
Many Parents Aren’t Fans of ‘Fambushing’
While it has become common for parents to use location-tracking apps to keep an eye on their teens, many parents aren’t thrilled to have the roles reversed.
Whether it’s the iPhone’s location share option or apps like Snap Map, a study by Life360, a phone locator and tracking app, found that Gen Z is significantly more likely to use location sharing than other generations.
The study also found that many parents, especially moms, are feeling like their privacy and autonomy are threatened when their teens track their every move. One mom named Nicole DeRoy (@nicolederoy) posted a video on TikTok expressing her frustration over her kids always tracking her fast food visits and begging for food.
Other Parents Find ‘Fambushing’ Funny
One of the most viral fambushing videos includes a mom named Chrysta (@chrystamckenziesapp) who posted a video on TikTok of her daughter fambushing her at a Mexican restaurant. The video received 1.2 million likes.
People commented, noting that their kids (or even themselves) would have done the same thing if they tracked their parent eating out without them. Chrysta found the entire situation amusing, and so did her daughter (who did indeed get a free meal from her fambush).
For both kids and parents, fambushing has been a hit on social media and a way to boost likes and follows, especially on TikTok.
Location-Tracking Is Controversial
In so many ways, location-tracking has become a game changer for parents to ensure that their children are safe. However, there are a host of concerns that come from the continual tracking of anyone, including teens tracking parents.
For both parents and teens, constantly monitoring the other’s whereabouts can lead to resentment, lack of trust and the feeling of being violated.
The Harvard Law Review reports that “The digital technologies that have revolutionized our daily lives have also created minutely detailed records of those lives.” This means that the boundaries between what is private and what is public may become skewed.
Each family must find their own balance when it comes to what a healthy amount of location-tracking is on all sides, this includes determining if “fambushing” helps or hinders a parent-child relationship.
