Editorial: The need to balance convenience, privacy with technology

We've come to believe anything that makes our lives more convenient is a wonderful must-have.

Technology that allows us to simplify the complicated, shorten the task and buy something in an instant is considered a boost to our quality of life.

But the speed at which new technology develops and evolves is so fast, it allows little to no time to assess the implications. The trade-off can be that we reveal a little more of ourselves - consciously or unconsciously - in the cookies we leave behind when visiting a website, the location divulged by a cellphone call and in countless other ways.

Adults have a tough enough time being mindful of the threats to their personal privacy and taking steps to guard against them, but there is growing concern technology is teaching children to unknowingly relinquish too much too soon.

Such is the debate over new technology used in some suburban schools that allows children to pay for lunch with their thumbprint.

The American Civil Liberties Union and some child psychologists say allowing children to use biometrics to buy lunch can be a dangerous habit for them regarding the importance of privacy, security and protecting personally identifiable information. These critics urge parents to be careful in signing up for such technology and to talk to their children about how it's used.

We, too, think it's wise for parents to ask questions about how much is being revealed, monitor use of such technology and counsel their children on the importance of being protective. It's the same kind of parental care and oversight that should accompany any device children use that puts them in cyberspace.

Convenience and speed are cited among the advantages behind the system used in Geneva Unit District 304 and soon to be in place in Lake Zurich Unit District 95 and East Maine Elementary District 63 in Des Plaines. The company, Geneva-based PushCoin, stresses the steps it takes to protect privacy, including not detailing fingerprint images, quickly converting biometric samples to digital code and eliminating information about students who have left the district.

We're not necessarily opposed to the thumbscan. We understand the desire to help move more students through shorter lunch periods by eliminating the hassles that go with things like lost meal cards.

But there is a bigger-picture worry here that can't be overlooked about conditioning and the need to keep close control of our privacy. Children have grown up with technology and use it with ease every day. The fear is they'll have no fear about the erosion of their privacy and worse, that a staggering amount of their personal information will be collecting in vast cyberspace before they reach adulthood.

"We're getting so used to giving up data about ourselves," child psychology professor Laura Kastner told the Daily Herald's Bob Susnjara.

As use of biometric devices grows - and it certainly will - it's critical to be wary of anything that could compromise personal information. That's a good lesson for everyone, regardless of age.