Children want parents to 'stop sharing their photos online and put phones down at mealtimes'

"Stop using your phone when I’m
talking to you” may sound like what
an angry parent would say to a
child, but it is in fact a rule that
young people wish to impose on
their families, a new study has
found.

US researchers surveyed 249
families with children between the
ages of 10 to 17 about how
technology use was restricted in
their households.
The children were also asked which
rules they wished they could
impose on their parents.
Researchers found there were
seven common themes.
Parents shouldn’t share
information, including photos,
online about their children with
their explicit permission, the
participants also said.
Children also wanted their parents
to be more present and stop using
technology during conversatons,
and use devices in moderation.
An apparent fear for safety among
children was also highlighted, as
they asked parents to stop texting
while they were driving or at a
traffic light.
They agreed that parents should
establish and enforce rules to
protect them, but said that children
should make their own decisions
and not be interfered with after
that point.
Children also wished that parents
would follow rules which they
impose themselves and stop using
devices at mealtimes.
However, parents prioritised
privacy rules to reduce the risk of
children sharing personal
information online over concerns
their offspring raised.
Sarita Schoenebeck, assistant
professor in the University of
Michigan’s School of Information
and co-author of the study said:
“Twice as many children as parents
expressed concerns about family
members oversharing personal
information about them on
Facebook and other social media
without permission.
“Many children said they found that
content embarrassing and felt
frustrated when their parents
continued to do it.”