What kids expect of parents.

• Position: Technology Use Rules

Put your phone away when I am talking to you; do not text while you are driving, not even at red lights; stop posting photos of me without my permission. These are some of the rules for Internet and smartphone use that kids between the ages of 10 and 17 would set for their parents, according to a study by researchers at the University of Washington, Seattle, and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

"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," says lead author Alexis Hiniker, a UW doctoral student in Human Centered Design and Engineering. "However, now that so many family members have phones with them at all times, it's become harder and harder to set those boundaries."

When researchers asked kids what technology rules they wished their parents would follow--a less common line of inquiry--the answers fell into these general categories:

Be present. Children feel there should be no technology at all in certain situations, such as when a child is trying to talk to a parent.

Moderate use. Parents should use technology in...