Parents Focus More on the Mechanics of Their Kids' Devices, Not Content

BOSTON (CBS) -- While kids are using mobile devices at an increasingly rapid pace, most parents say they're trying to monitor their kids' online activity. But researchers at the University of Michigan say parents spend more time talking with their kids about the mechanics of using their devices than they do about what their kids are actually watching.

Researchers studied 75 children and their families, monitoring their screen use while recording conversations in the home.

They found that there was little talk about what the kids were watching and that when there was a conversation, it was the children, not the parents, who usually initiated it and that conversation often resulted in conflict.

Also, older siblings played a much bigger role than parents in mediating content for younger siblings.

They say that parents really need to be aware of what their kids are watching online and should use the privacy settings and restrictions on devices to protect them from certain content.