Many parents in the U.S. have begun using GPS-based digital location tracking (DLT) technologies (smartphones, tags, wearables) to track the whereabouts of children and adolescents. This paper lays the foundation for an emerging science of DLT by performing the first theoretical analysis and review of empirical literature on DLT. First, we develop a framework to clarify how DLT should be conceptualized and measured, how it compares to historical strategies for monitoring youths’ location, and the mechanisms by which it might affect youth adjustment. Second, we review what is known about DLT today, finding that (1) DLT use is now common from childhood to emerging adulthood, with 33–69% of U.S. families using it; (2) there are sociodemographic differences in DLT use; (3) DLT use has significant cross-sectional associations with other parenting behaviors, with family functioning, and with youth adjustment; and (4) there is much speculation, but minimal data, about the new ethical and developmental issues that might arise from DLT use (e.g., privacy invasions). Third, we critique the existing evidence base to outline priorities for future research, emphasizing the need for longitudinal data, better measurement, and moving beyond convenience samples. We conclude that DLT is a new, common, and vastly understudied parenting behavior of clinical and developmental relevance.

美国的许多父母已经开始使用基于 GPS 的数字位置跟踪 （DLT） 技术（智能手机、标签、可穿戴设备）来跟踪儿童和青少年的行踪。本文通过对 DLT 的实证文献进行首次理论分析和回顾，为 DLT 的新兴科学奠定了基础。首先，我们开发了一个框架来阐明 DLT 应该如何概念化和衡量，它与监测青少年位置的历史策略相比如何，以及它可能影响青少年适应的机制。其次，我们回顾了当今对 DLT 的了解，发现 （1） DLT 的使用现在从童年到成年都很普遍，有 33-69% 的美国家庭使用它;（2） DLT 使用存在社会人口学差异;（3） DLT 的使用与其他育儿行为、家庭功能和青少年适应有显着的横断面关联;（4） 关于使用 DLT 可能引起的新的道德和发展问题（例如，隐私侵犯），有很多猜测，但数据很少。第三，我们批评现有的证据基础，以概述未来研究的重点，强调对纵向数据、更好的测量和超越便利样本的需求。我们得出结论，DLT 是一种新的、常见的、尚未被充分研究的具有临床和发展相关性的育儿行为。