Children have few expectations for privacy from parents, Adolescents expect more. Late adolescence and adults expect a great deal of control over the information they choose to share and what they choose to keep to themselves. This seems to parallel changes in children and adolescents' beliefs on the legitimacy of parental authority, beliefs that parents have the right to control different areas of their lives, for example most teens believe its okay for parents to set rules on prudential areas (drinking, driving and other safety issues). They also grant parents the right to set rules about conventional areas (dress & chores) academics and morals (don't hit your brother). They think its okay for parents to set rules in these areas. They tend to be willing to share information about these things.
However when it's on personal issues most teens resist sharing too much information about their friendship, their choices about reading or media and other issues having to do with taste. Don't even think about their e-mail or phone records. Sure they might talk about these things but when parents start to ask questions, they meet with resistance
