Washington: Parents, take note! Oversharing your child's photographs or using smartphones at the dinner table may irk your kids, scientists say.
These are some of the rules for internet and smartphone use that kids would set for their parents, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Washington and University of Michigan in US.
The researchers surveyed 249 families with children between the ages of 10 and 17 about their household's most important technology rules and expectations.
The study is among the first to explore children's expectations for parents' technology use.
The surveys unveiled kids' feelings about fairness and "oversharing," the most effective types of technology rules and families' most common approaches.
"Managing kids' technology use was once much easier for parents they switched off the television when a show was over or kept an eye on kids as they used the family computer in the living room," said lead author Alexis Hiniker, a doctoral student at University of Washington.
"But now that so many family members have phones with them at all times, it's become harder and harder to set those boundaries," Hiniker said.
Researchers asked kids what technology rules they wished their parents would follow.
Children felt there should be no technology at all in certain situations, such as when a child is trying to talk to a parent. Parents should use technology in moderation and in balance with other activities, they said.
They also wanted parents to allow them to make their own decisions about technology use without interference. Parents should establish and enforce technology-related rules for children's own protection and should not text while driving or sitting at a traffic light.
They should practice what they preach, such as staying off the Internet at mealtimes, and they should not share information online about their children without explicit permission
"Twice as many children as parents expressed concerns about family members oversharing personal information about them on Facebook and other social media without permission," said co-author Sarita Schoenebeck, assistant professor in the University of Michigan's School of Information.
"Many children said they found that content embarrassing and felt frustrated when their parents continued to do it," Schoenebeck said.
The most common expectation cited by children revolved around "being present" in certain social settings, such as when a family member was talking or during meals or when they were involved in certain activities.
Parents, on the other hand, tended to prioritise privacy rules to prevent children from putting themselves at risk by disclosing personal information online.
