Social media use and parent–child relationship: A cross‐sectional study of adolescents

Abstract

We examined the association between social media use and parent–child relationship quality and tested whether this association is independent of total screen time. Data on 9,732 students (48.4% female) aged 11–20 years were obtained from a provincially representative school‐based survey. Heavy use of social media (daily use of more than 2 hr) was associated with greater odds of negative relationships between mother–daughter (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.27–2.52), father–daughter (OR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.16–2.09), father–son (OR = 2.19; 95% CI: 1.58–3.05) but not mother–son (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 0.88–1.55). Results were similar after further adjusting for total screen time. There were no significant associations between regular use of social media (2 hr or less) and parent–child relationships. These findings suggest that heavy use of social media is associated with negative parent–child relationships. Longitudinal research is necessary to disentangle the pathways between social media use and the parent–child relationship.

Social media use and social connectedness among adolescents in the United Kingdom: a qualitative exploration of displacement and stimulation

“…One of few studies examining SMU and family connectedness, a cross-sectional survey of Canadian adolescents [ 29 ] found that heavy SMU (3 or more hours per day) was associated with greater odds of negative reported relationships between mothers and daughters, fathers and daughters and fathers and sons, but not mothers and sons. The authors explain their results as indicative of SMU displacing time spent engaging face-to-face with parents, with negative consequences for family relationships, However, our findings indicate that adolescents may also be motivated to turn to social media as a result of existing poor family connectedness.…”

The relation between oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms, adult attachment and Instagram sociability: An exploratory analysis

“…Among multiple factors that shape sociability, environmental influences such as familiar education, parental bonding and adult attachment play a role in regulating in-person and online sociability [37,38,39,40,41]. According to the prototypical hypothesis of attachment, the relational patterns with peers and the partner are influenced by the early relationships with parents during infancy and childhood, which appear to be stable throughout life [42,43,44,45].…”

The impact of social media on self‐evaluations of men striving for a muscular ideal

“…Social media sites are particularly popular among adolescents and young people (Sampasa-Kanyinga et al, 2020). They provide users with a profile space, facilities for uploading content (e.g., photos), messaging, and the capability to make connections with other people.…”