Study shows young parents do not know how to handle kids' screentime

• Modern parents have trouble agreeing on how to handle kids' screentime.
• Children, teens using smartphones has become source of arguments.
• Researchers believe major problem is lack of standard guidelines for parents. 

With the emergence of new technology and the popularity of smartphones, problems faced by new parents are growing. A recent study showed that modern parents are having trouble agreeing on how to handle kids' screentime.

There is no set "rule book" that can navigate and direct parents in this regard. In the survey, parents admitted that they were witnessing problems within their families because their kids used mobile phones a lot.

The study authors said that most modern parents were simply going with the flow when it came to the digital habits of their children.

Findings suggest that children and teenagers using smartphones has become a prominent source of arguments within the family.

Researchers had actually set out to learn more about millennial parents' beliefs about tech devices and how they influence their children's behaviours.

The study concluded that parents needed to be educated on how to help their children and control the influence of mobile media on kids' behaviour. 

The sample of the survey comprised 281 Australian parents out of which 75% reported "tension, conflict, and family disagreements". 

Parents also reported that their kids' digital media habits had led to a lack of exercise, excessive gaming, social withdrawal, and sleep problems. 

Researchers believe that a major problem was the lack of standard guidelines for parents. Conflicting advice led to parents being confused.

The study was conducted by a research team at Edith Cowan University and is published in the journal Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies.