Parents spend a lot of time worrying about how social media is affecting their children, but a new survey has found kids may be even more concerned with how their parents are using it.

Specifically, the survey found 42 percent of teens said they had a problem with what their parents posted about them on social media, and more than one in ten teens described it 'a big problem.'

Nearly half of the teens in the survey said they'd reached out to their parent to discuss the parent's online activity.

A Microsoft survey of more than 12,500 teens found 42 per cent had a problem with how their parents posted about them on social media.

The study, 'Civility, Safety, and Interaction Online – 2019,' was conducted by Microsoft and included over 12,500 people in 25 different counties.

Researchers described parents who posted potentially embarrassing or troublesome information about their kids on social media as 'sharenting.'

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They didn't examine whether teens reported specifically being harassed or antagonized because of their parents behavior, but two-thirds of the teens in the survey said they'd been the victim of 'online risk' and were worried about a repeat occurrence.

Social media may actually bring out the worst in parents, offering a platform that applauds harsh and petty criticisms of teens who are still learning about themselves and society.

Being criticized, especially in public, can be devastating for teens, according to psychotherapist Sean Grover.

'Constantly criticizing your kids makes them feel like failures,' Grover writes.

'Parents' words are powerful and impact a teenager's evolving identity. Teenagers may act tough, but underneath they have a very fragile sense of self.'

Researcher's advice to parents: 'Don't post anything online you wouldn't want to see on a billboard.'

Psychologists say teens can be more sensitive to criticism because they are still developing.

30 per cent of teens reported having no problem with their parents' social media posts about them.

28 per cent of teens said their parents asked for permission before posting about them.

66 per cent of teens had experienced some online risk event and were worried a similar event would occur again in the future.

Microsoft's researchers encourage parents to think more carefully about how and why they post about their children on social media.

'To share or not to share is an individual family's decision, but if the choice is to share, parents should be attentive, exercise discretion and not inadvertently reveal too much, including children's real full names, ages, dates of births, home addresses, mothers' maiden names, favorite sports teams, names of pets and photos, to cite a few examples,' researchers advice.

Only 28 per cent of teens surveyed said their parents never posted about them without first asking for permission.

'Share with care' should be everyone's mantra both online and off,' researchers say.

The ultimate advice: 'Don't' post anything online you wouldn't want to see on a billboard.'

That's just as true when posting about one's children as one's self.