Mother and father have a variety of considerations in relation to their youngsters utilizing social media, with entry to specific content material and time-wasting rating amongst these on the prime of the checklist, in accordance with a Pew Analysis Middle survey of fogeys of teenagers ages 13 to 17 carried out this spring. The survey additionally exhibits {that a} majority of fogeys are holding a watchful eye on what their teenagers do on social media. Some are additionally imposing display time restrictions on these websites.
Pew Analysis Middle carried out this research to higher perceive dad and mom’ worries and practices round their teenagers’ social media use. For this evaluation, we surveyed 1,316 U.S. dad and mom of teenagers ages 13 to 17. The survey was carried out on-line by Ipsos from April 14 to Might 4, 2022.
This analysis was reviewed and authorized by an exterior institutional overview board (IRB), Advarra, which is an impartial committee of consultants that makes a speciality of serving to to guard the rights of analysis members.
Ipsos invited panelists who have been a mother or father of at the least one teen ages 13 to 17 from its KnowledgePanel, a probability-based internet panel recruited primarily by way of nationwide, random sampling of residential addresses, to take this survey. For a few of these questions, dad and mom have been requested to consider one teen of their family (if they’d a number of teen kids ages 13 to 17 within the family, one was randomly chosen). The survey is weighted to be consultant of U.S. dad and mom of teenagers ages 13 to 17 by age, gender, race, ethnicity, family earnings and different classes.
Listed here are the questions used for this report, together with responses, and its methodology.
Terminology
Mother and father of a teen or dad and mom of teenagers is used on this evaluation to consult with adults who report being a mother or father of at the least one baby between the ages of 13 and 17 however who might also produce other kids. In instances the place respondents have a couple of baby on this age vary, the survey requested dad and mom to concentrate on one particular teen as they answered questions, prompting them with the age and gender of this randomly chosen teen from an inventory of their kids that they offered.
Whereas social media has allowed folks to simply hunt down data, some say it has additionally made inappropriate and specific content material more accessible. Almost half of fogeys of teenagers (46%) say they’re extraordinarily or very frightened that their teen’s use of social media might result in them being uncovered to specific content material, in accordance with the April 14-Might 4, 2022, ballot.
The influence of social media on productiveness can also be a key concern for folks. Some 42% say they’re extraordinarily or very frightened about their teen losing an excessive amount of time on social media, whereas 38% categorical the identical degree of concern about their baby being distracted from finishing their homework as a result of they’re utilizing social media.
A couple of third of fogeys (34%) are extraordinarily or very frightened about their teen sharing an excessive amount of about their private life. Roughly three-in-ten say the identical about social media main their teen to really feel strain to behave a sure approach (32%), be harassed or bullied (29%), expertise issues with nervousness or despair (28%) or expertise decrease vanity (27%). Nonetheless, about half of fogeys (47%) say they’re solely just a little or in no way frightened about social media inflicting nervousness or despair of their teen.
Parental considerations about social media fluctuate by race and ethnicity. Hispanic dad and mom usually tend to categorical a excessive degree of concern about many of those points in contrast with Black and White dad and mom. For instance, 45% of Hispanic dad and mom say they’re extraordinarily or very frightened that their teen’s social media use might result in them oversharing on-line, in contrast with 30% of White dad and mom and 29% of Black dad and mom. Hispanic dad and mom are additionally extra probably than White and Black dad and mom to be extraordinarily or very involved about social media resulting in cyberbullying, nervousness or despair, publicity to specific content material, or decrease vanity. (There weren’t sufficient Asian American dad and mom within the pattern to research individually.) Nevertheless, comparable shares of fogeys throughout racial and ethnic traces say they’re extraordinarily or very frightened about social media inflicting distractions from homework, time-wasting and social strain for his or her teen kids.
Parental considerations in regards to the influence of social media on their teenagers’ psychological well being differ by the kid’s gender as nicely. Mother and father of sweet sixteen women are extra probably than dad and mom of sweet sixteen boys to say they’re extraordinarily or very involved that social media use would possibly lead their teen to expertise issues with nervousness and despair (32% vs. 24%) and decrease vanity (30% vs. 23%).
The survey additionally exhibits that some dad and mom intervene of their teenagers’ social media use in sure methods. One method is to control what teenagers are doing on social media, both manually or by way of the variety of apps that exist for this function. One other is to institute display closing dates, a way health and parenting web sites additionally advocate.
A majority of fogeys (57%) say they at the least generally verify what their teen is doing on social media, whereas 49% say they typically or generally restrict the instances of day or size of time when their teen can go on social media.
Black dad and mom of teenagers are extra probably than Hispanic or White dad and mom to verify their teenagers’ social media exercise. About seven-in-ten Black dad and mom (69%) say they do that at the least generally, in contrast with 59% of Hispanic dad and mom and 54% of White dad and mom. Black and Hispanic dad and mom are additionally extra probably than White dad and mom to say they at the least generally set social media closing dates.
There are additionally variations in dad and mom’ social media monitoring primarily based on the gender or age of their teen. Mother and father of sweet sixteen women are extra probably than these of sweet sixteen boys to say they typically or generally monitor their baby’s social media and restrict their teen’s social media time. And oldsters of 13- to 14-year-olds are extra probably than these with 15- to 17-year-olds to report limiting when and the way lengthy their baby may be on social media websites.
Extra broadly, dad and mom of teenagers usually agree that the world may be very totally different from the one they themselves grew up in, in accordance with the current survey.
When serious about youngsters immediately in contrast with after they themselves have been teenagers, 77% of fogeys say teenagers immediately must cope with a totally totally different set of points than they did prior to now. Far fewer (23%) say that regardless of some variations, the problems that teenagers must cope with immediately are usually not that totally different from after they themselves have been youngsters.
There aren’t any variations in opinion on this query throughout most demographic teams. However it is very important observe that the survey was fielded within the spring of 2022, when many households had or have been lately coping with disruptions attributable to the coronavirus pandemic.
