'Santa Cams' spark debate in online Mom Groups, 'dystopian surveillance state.'
If you simply don't have the time or energy to handle the committment that's required for Elf on the Shelf, what's stopping you from slapping up a flew phony cameras top trick your children into behaving?
Sure, the 'Santa Cams,' might only work because they're worried they won't get their favorite toys if they don't do their chores, but wouldn't it be nice to have one month without begging your kids to stop throwing temper tantrums in the condiment aisle of the grocery store? An imaginary elf that can move around the house is at least somewhat in line with the magical Santa narrative, but Santa's security cameras are a bit too real for some parents to process.
So, when a few moms posted in an online parenting groups that they're making Santa Cams, other parents called it 'Orwellian' and 'Dystopian.'
HellaHighAtHogwarts said:
So Santa is a voyeur is what we are teaching kids? Elves are snitches and Santa likes to watch. I’m sure this won’t f*ck kids up at all.
trisyrahtops said:
I used to work as a cashier at Target. One time this lady walked in with her young kid, maybe 4 years old. He saw our security cameras and immediately said, 'Look, mom! Santa cameras!' She had this huge smile on her face as she said, 'That's right, honey! He's always watching you.' It wasn't even winter. I only worked summers because of school. all I could think was that the poor kid would be traumatized when he found out the truth.
Intrepid_Advice4411 said:
Jesus Christ. I though the elf was bad. This sh*t just hurts your kids. Don't do it.
However, others thought the whole concept was pretty benign:
jbee27 said:
Not that much of a leap from the freaking Elf on the Shelf that like everyone has started doing.
[deleted] said:
I mean, they're fake? Who cares? The parents aren't spying on their kids? I mean, I even grew up with constantly recording security cameras in the house (not for us, we just lived in a bad area so we had cameras on all entrances) and nothing was weird about it they were just a fact of life. Cameras aren't inherently evil.
What do you think? Are Santa Cams harmless little tools to help tired parents or are they creepy, dystopian spyware preparing them to live in fear of breaking the rules in the staff room at their first job?