Did you hear the one about the teenager from China who sold one of his kidneys in order to buy an iPad2?
Unfortunately, it’s not a joke.
According to news reports, a 17-year-old boy from China turned to the Internet in his search for ways to score a new computer. While online the teen reportedly found an organ-selling agent who was willing to pay 3,400 American dollars for a kidney.
Chinese news agencies report that the boy took off from his home in the eastern Anhui province without his parents’ knowledge and traveled to a hospital in the city of Chenzhou in Hunan province where he underwent an operation to remove his kidney. Following the surgery the teen traveled back home with a new iPad2, an iPhone and a side full of stitches.
The boy’s mother told news reporters that she suspected something was wrong when her kid came home with the new high-tech gadgets and a massive bandage under his shirt. The teen reportedly spilled the beans about his unorthodox money-making scheme after his mother spotted his deep red scar. However, by then the man who had commissioned the organ removal was long gone and the hospital had no way of contacting him in order for police to conduct an investigation.
This is an extreme example of what can happen when teens are left unsupervised. Still, some parents question how they are expected to monitor their child’s every move without the help of 24/7 video surveillance.
Interestingly, I know of two families who have used home surveillance equipment to spy on their teenage kids. Neither regrets the decision, and to this day they maintain that hidden cameras are a simple yet effective way of alleviating some of the worry that comes with parenting teenagers.
Have you ever considered videotaping your kids without their knowledge?
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