Kids have the same problems as adults with computer passwords, and they make some of their mistakes, even knowing what behaviors to avoid.
This was stated by a study by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology, which analyzed the passwords of 1500 children between the ages of 8 and 16, presenting the results at the USENIX Security Symposium 2021.
In the study, the students were asked several questions about the use of passwords. The most used device was on average the laptop, even if in the 14-16 age group the smartphone is the 'winner', and is used by over 90% of the subjects. On average, children reported having two passwords for school and four for home. "The positive side that emerged from the study - write the authors - is that the students are learning the 'best practices' on passwords, such as avoiding writing passwords on paper, keeping them private and logging out after each session".
While kids are probably more aware of password rules, researchers write, they don't shy away from common mistakes. Four out of ten between the ages of 8-10 and a third of the older ones don't change the keyword often. Moreover, if only 2 out of 10 of the youngest admit to sharing the password with friends, the percentage grows to 44% among the older ones. "For teenagers, an important part of building relationships is based on building trust by sharing secrets - they explain -. Their perspective is therefore that sharing passwords is not risky behavior."