CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Social media is formally defined as “a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web2.0, and that allows the creation and exchange of content” (Kaplan and Haenlein 2010, p. 61). Hence, the users of these devices fall within the age category of; the aged, adults, youths, the younger adolescents (from ages 12), therefore the mass distribution of contents/information without filtration be it positive or negative is openly made public.
Another definition defines social media as a computer-grounded technology that facilitates the sharing of information, ideas, studies, through virtual networks and communities. It is internet-based and gives users quick electronic communication of content, similar as particular information, a means of disseminating knowledge and providing solutions to social problems directly or indirectly.
According to an article done by the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) (2018), social media can be seen to play a major role in the teenage culture presently. Overtime, surveys have shown that ninety percent (90%) of teenagers between the ages of 13-17 have and currently use (d) social media.
About seventy-five percent (75%) report to have at least one active social media profile which they use from time to time, and fifty-one percent (51%) report visiting a social media site at least on a daily basis. Two thirds of teenagers have their own mobile devices with internet capabilities at their disposal. On an average scale, teenagers are often online for almost nine hours daily, excluding time for schoolwork and other household activities in/around the house.
A major factor that affects adolescents is the peer group influence where teenagers get to interact and communicate with and within their age brackets/peers sharing and developing a common ground for themselves through conformity, hence whosoever doesn’t meet up to such standards, interacting as expected is seen as an outcast and such person is looked down upon.
This is where different modes of modern communication, slangs and symbols, styles, codes, words, etc. are developed among adolescents such that their parents are seen as “old school” and not being able to keep up with the modern-day standards hence a communication lag is created whereby parent-child communication becomes difficult.
A parent is defined as an individual who has offspring either by birth or adoption, with the role of father or mother. The primary role of the parent is to socialize the children into the society, familiarizing the (new) individual with the norms, values, beliefs, taboos, rules, sanctions. Lastly, the parents provide the most essential needs such as shelter, clothing, security, food, and emotional support, etc. preparing him/her for the society.
A child is defined as young person between infancy and puberty stage, usually not yet of the age of majority. This individual is a son or daughter of human parents who is strongly influenced by a state of authority by the parents into shaping such individual to become socially acceptable into the society to contribute positive impact, facilitating growth and development.
The aim of this research study is to help out adolescents who are the most vulnerable category of people in the society, whereby the society expects a huge demand of responsibility from them hence putting a strain on their actual status as just children with a young and forming mind in the society who still needs the care and close attention of adults in particular their parents, hence this creates a strong burden on their developing young minds where they have to rely on a means of comfort which they get from social media.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Over the years, the use of social media through technological gadgets has increased at a very rapid rate whereby face-to-face communication, relationships, connections, sharing of information, etc. have been gradually replaced by modern-day technology whereby communication is passed on a daily basis.
These relationships could be formal, informal, semi-formal and or business related depending on the situation has resulted into a growing-fond attachment between people and their gadget neglecting other life aspects, such that physical communication still happens but is based on necessity where online communication fails.
Nowadays, parents and children do not have those physical one-on-one chats/conversations except on few occasions which tend to be short in nature which is even worse when there is a long-distance interplay, as they tend to chat which their gadgets/mobile devices. Hence, mobile devices have become a widespread tool for communication, sharing of information, and socialisation purpose to the society which creates communication gap overtime. (Blake and Wrothen, 2012).
The strong bond and connection needed to be created between a parent and child through the process of communication could become fractured due to the excessive use of social media through smart phones or gadgets, hence leading to a gap in communication. As a result of excess time and use of the social media, children and parents become present physically but absent socially and emotionally harming their communication further.
According to Golden (2015), “while parents generally report that they are only on their mobile devices for a few seconds at a time, video evidence shows that they can be absorbed for upwards of 3 minutes at a stretch”.
Ralston (2015) describes distracted parenting as being a direct threat to child welfare as parents are often more engaged in their devices as opposed to supervising their children closely. This doesn’t mean that parents don’t create time for their children when using social media where necessary, but that they become distant and distracted with their children when focusing on their mobile devices and vice-versa.
As of present, there are no social policies bodies, agencies or organisations, which drive the issue of excessive usage of social media and bringing awareness to its adverse effects on communication gaps. Hence, the purpose of this research study is based on the strain in communication in parent and children, such area would be addressed as best as possible further.
It is worthy of note that social media also positively impacts the lives of parents and children at certain spheres of lives both individually and generally as a whole but this research study is not geared towards that aspect, as the main focus is place majorly on communication gap.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What is the pattern of social media use among children?
2. How does social media cause children addiction and influence parent-children communication?
3. What parenting style do parents use and how does it affect the relationship between parents and children?
1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
SOCIAL MEDIA AND PARENT-CHILDREN RELATONSHIPS
General Objective of the study:
To determine the most suitable approach towards parents-children relationship and to identify how social media affects the quality of this relationship.
Specific Objectives of this study are:
1. To investigate and assess the pattern of social media use among children;
2. To investigate how social media causes children addiction and influence parent-children relationship;
3. To identify parenting style and how it affects the relationship between parents and children.
1.5 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This research study aims to answer to answer the question: How does social media affects parent-children’s relationships?
The hypothesis of the study is that excessive use of social media, daily usage time about two or three hours, by children will negatively affect the strength of attachment and the relationship between the child and parent. As children begin to spend more hours on social media during the time they are with their parents, they may begin to lose some of the important interactions and necessary bonding for a healthy attachment.
As a result, an increased use of social media by the children could lead a parent to have a different parenting style, one that may be permissive or authoritarian versus a responsive and respectful parenting style more in tune with an authoritative/balanced style. This study focuses on the use of social media by children and its effects on their relationship with their parents, particularly the type of attachment to their parents.
Children who spend an excessive amount of time on sites such as Instagram, Twitter, among many others, may be prone to neglecting their parents, or leaving them for their rooms to fully immerse themselves into the information shared through such social media. Therefore, social media usage will affect how much attention children are paying to their parents and their subsequent level of bonding and attachment, and in the long run their relationship.
Though the study then focuses on children and their parents, the impact of this research can reach larger populations. There may be an overall understanding as to how social media affects relationships. According to Huisman (2014), healthy attachments are particularly critical and necessary for children, who are the focus of this research study. “Attachment is easily formed through eye contact, talking to each other and skin-to-skin contact” (p. 160).
While a child who spends excessive amount of time checking their phone may be physically present and providing that needed skin to skin contact, there may be less of a focus on the required eye contact and effective communication needed to acquire a healthy attachment.
Children of a young age may be less likely to conceptualize how their social media usage may be impacting their relationship, but this may still be affected by the lack of attention to their parents, in the end the effects on attachment will then solely be a result of the child’s use versus the parent’s feelings about how social media is affecting their relationship.
The research methods used includes a variety of surveys with children who use social media. By using physical surveying method, a more precise population of individuals impacted by the study was reached: that is, children who spend most time on these same social media sites and are living with their parents.
Many children who completed the survey also had acquaintances or groups to whom they shared information that aided the research questionnaire(s). Through these methods of sampling, the study was able to acquire a great variety of participants from other different departments and or faculties.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
Social media usage significantly affects social work-related practices through the changes in the way families communicate and spend time together. A weak/negative parent and child attachment could potentially lead the child (unknowingly) to further developmental or emotional problems later in life related to attachment at a young age.
For example, Turner (2015) states that “the quality of interactions between infant and caregiver, beginning at birth, motivated specifically by the child’s need for safety and protection, are central to lifespan development” (p. 31). Moving further, Bowlby (2005) is of the believe that in order for a child to be able to explore his world with confidence, he must be able to trust in the availability and security of their primary caretaker.
With the excessive use of social media, the adequate amount of attention or bonding given by a child can be inconsistent, leading to a disintegration of the “secure base of the attachment relationship” propounded by Turner (2015, p. 33).
Based on the prevalence of the use of social media among children and the increasing amount of time most of these individuals spend using their devices (Ray & Jat, 2010), understanding the negative repercussions of its usage will therefore benefit families in learning to focus their time and build a solid relationship.
Excessive social media usage can also potentially be a social issue in terms of increased number of distractions and cuts in face-to-face interaction. On the opposite side, in a case where social media usage actually shows to be positive for parent-child relationships, parents can use resources of social support and bonding to improve their parenting ability, improving their own moods and the behaviors of their children.
On the bases of the generalist intervention process, this study aims to acquire new information related to the assessment and beginning phases. Although surveying the participants may not lead to actual interventions being made, it becomes important to likewise view the parents’ attachment style.
Engagement with the participants and assessment of their parents’ parenting styles, through the use of social media, incorporated with the inclusion of parent-child attachment will be of great significance not only to the research study but also to the general population.
The main focus of this research is to create the necessary survey required which measures not only the extent of the participant’s social media usage but also their level of interaction skills with their parents, the number of hours of bonding-time provided, the level of attachment they have with their parents, and their parents’ parenting style.
Themes included comprise whether children who use social media in excess of one or two hours daily are more likely to have moments when they do not respond to their parents Surveys also measure the level of attachment between the parent and child, and whether social media usage has an effect here.
1.7OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
SOCIAL MEDIA
The term social media refers to a computer-based technology that aids the sharing of ideas, thoughts, and information through virtual networks and communities, hence the term “global village”.
Social media is internet-based and gives users quick electronic communication and sharing of content, such as personal information, documents, videos, and photos, all also for the purpose of entertainment. The medium through which users engage with social media are via a computer, smart-phone, tablet, software or applications with access to the internet.
PARENT
The term parent refers to the caretaker of a child. Scientifically, a biological parent refers to a person whose gamete results into a child, i.e., a male through the sperm, and the female through the ovum. Biological parents are the first-degree relatives to their children and have 50% genetic meet.
Some parents may be adoptive parents, saddled with nurturing and raising an offspring, but are not related biologically to the child. The traditional types of parents are mothers, fathers, step-parents, and grandparents. The father is the male parent of a child. Asides paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have legal, parental, and social relationship with the child alongside with certain rights and obligations.
A biological father is the male genetic contributor to the creation/birth of the infant, through sexual intercourse or sperm donation while an adoptive father is one who becomes the child's parent through a legal or formal process of adoption. A biological father may have legal obligations to a child not raised by him, such as an obligation of monetary support.
A putative father entails a man whose biological relationship to a child is alleged but has not been fully established. A stepfather is a male who is the husband of a child's mother forming a family unit, but generally does not have the legal rights and responsibilities of a parent in relation to the child. Hence, such individual acts as a father-figure to the mother’s children.
A mother is the female parent of a child. Mothers comprise women who inhabit or perform the role of bearing some extent of relation to their children, who may or may not be their biological offspring. Further, based on the context, women are considered mothers by virtue of having given birth, by raising their child (ren), supplying their ovum for fertilisation, or some combination thereof.
An adoptive mother is a female who has become the child's parent through legal process of adoption, while a biological mother is the female genetic contributor to the creation of the infant, through sexual intercourse or in some cases donation of egg. A biological mother may have legal obligations to a child not raised by her, for instance; an obligation of monetary support.
A putative mother refers to a female whose biological relationship to a child is alleged but not established. A stepmother is a woman who is married to a child's father and may form a family unit, but generally does not have the legal rights and responsibilities of a parent in relation to the child. Hence, such individual acts as a mother-figure to the father’s children.
CHILD
A child (plural children), biologically refers to a human being between the stages of birth, the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of child generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of the majority usually between the age of 16 or 18, varying from different countries.
Children generally have fewer rights and responsibilities compared to adults as they are seen as under-aged/immature, hence they are classed as unable to make serious decisions. The term child may also describe a relationship with a parent (an authority figure) (i.e., sons and daughters of any age), or signify group membership in a clan, tribe, or religion.
PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP
Parent-child relationship refers to the unique and enduring bond shared between a parent/caregiver and their child/ward respectively. Understanding parent-child relationship, one must look at the ways parents and children interact with one another physically, emotionally, and socially.
Parent-child relationships could take a biological or adopted nature. Biological parents and children basically share genetic material, i.e., hereditary traits, blood ties, etc., while adoptive parents and children usually do not. Adoptive parent-child relationships are often legal agreements that form a permanent parent-child relationship, case scenario an adopted child from a foster home.
The relationship or bond between parents and their children is important to take into consideration when discussing emotional, physical, cognitive, and social development in children, hence the need for such cordial bond/relationship.
