Why parents fail to avoid conflicts with kids over their mobile use

Children using smartphones and tablets are causing conflict and heated arguments in most families, highlighting the need for official guidelines to help parents who are just winging it on their kids' mobile use, researchers have said.

As many parents will agree, children and teens' mobile use is a significant source of family arguments.

A new research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia shed light on the issue to help "millennial parents" who are literally making it up as they go when it comes to digital media use in the home.

"What is surprising is while parents reported high rates of oppositional behaviour, such as arguing back, very few sourced information on screen time from trusted sources such as general practitioners, teachers, or counsellors," said lead researcher Stephanie Milford.

The results, published in the journal Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, emphasise the importance of educating parents on the role mobile media was playing in shaping their child's behaviour.