Children earning pocket money for ‘digital chores’

From downloading apps for their parents to posting photos for them on social media, some 47% of parents with children aged between 10 and 18 said they ask their offspring to perform digital chores in return for pocket money, according to a survey for Barclays.

Some parents reported difficulties setting up an email address on their own, while some single parents said they struggled to set up an online dating profile.

Digital tasks can also prove more lucrative for youngsters. Parents also reported paying their children around 20% more for doing digital chores rather than traditional ones such as tidying their bedroom or washing up. Some children could earn as much as £20 from their parents for carrying out a digital task.

Despite the means for earning pocket money evolving in the digital age, cash is still king when it comes to how parents pay their offspring, with more than two-thirds (68%) of parents choosing to give their children cash.

The findings were released to mark the launch of a new mobile banking app from Barclays, specifically aimed at customers aged between 11 and 15 years old to help them keep track of their money.

The app, available on both Android and iOS, allows them to track their pocket money earnings and monitor their current account.

Some 2,000 people took part in the research.

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