ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the cultural and geographical location of Portugal. It argues that in families where parents and children share a culture and practices involving networked communication as the adopted communication model, the balance between autonomy and control are increasingly built through such negotiation. First, parents, although socially perceived as the main guardians of their children's safety, second, we have the often greater expertise of children regarding the usage of new media. The parents with a less education or with fewer skills than their children in using new technologies may adopt a more repressive style in their mediation. A study conducted by Mesch shows that conflicts between parents and adolescents increase in families where the adolescent is considered an expert in using the internet. The chapter also focuses Media Parental Regulation in Portuguese Households. The parental regulation of new media is a very complex and burdensome task since parents are faced with new realities that most do not grasp.
