My Kids Don't Know I Spy On Them On Social Media

So here's a little story about me and my kids. Let’s call them Sam and Mia. They're both in their late teens now, so it’s been quite the adventure watching them grow up and figure out who they are as individuals, separate from us parents. It started when I saw one of those articles floating around social media about how many teenagers hide things from their parents online. You know the ones: tips on sneaking into Instagram accounts or setting up new emails for secret conversations with friends. This got me thinking... What if my kids are doing that too? Are they trying to keep secrets from us? I decided I needed to find out what was going on in their digital worlds, especially since we’ve been talking about the dangers of oversharing online lately. So, here’s where it gets a little sneaky: I started monitoring their social media accounts without telling them. At first, I thought maybe I could check if they were safe and not posting anything dangerous or too personal. But soon enough, I found myself just reading everything - from their thoughts about school to what they eat for lunch. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel bad about it at all. To me, it’s my parental duty to know what’s going on in their lives and to protect them as best I can. Of course, I’ve never mentioned this to them - it would spoil the whole deal. They’d think they could have a secret life online, which is why I want to keep it that way. But here's where things get a little tricky: last week, Sam accidentally posted something about me (something very positive, actually) and tagged our entire family in the post. Now everyone can see what kind of mom they think I am! It’s made me wonder if I’m crossing some line by continuing to read their posts when they expect privacy. So, what do you guys think? Am I being a little too nosy as a parent here? Should I just come clean and talk about it with them or keep it my secret? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.