There could be bigger issues affecting children's behavior and attention, like a death in the family, an abusive relationship and other life experiences, experts said.

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"If parents are responsible, are monitoring their children's behavior, paying attention to them, spending time with them, that's going to have a positive effect and protect them from going down the path of alcohol and drug abuse, " says Maria M.

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Even if teens have not actually engaged in risky behaviors but merely brag about them online, this can still affect their future behavior, said study co-author Dr. Dimitri Christakis, professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington and director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children's Hospital.

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Some parents try and reason with young children, which Dr. Kazdin says is bound to fail to change a kid's behavior.

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His seminal study of consumption behavior and preferences, conducted earlier this year in greater Beijing, showed that children's preferences determined 69% of the family's overall spending.

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