Blurring the Boundaries Between Home and School: Parents Supporting Healthy Internet and Social Media Use

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: Computer and Internet Applications in Education

Abstract

Very little is known about how parents obtain guidance in their house rules regarding Internet and social media use. The current study seeks to understand how parents perceive the boundaries between home and school with respect to supervising digital devices in our youth. Through surveys and interviews, our mixed-method study of 350 parents from 4 schools in the Northeast examined parents’ perspectives on their role and the school’s role in supporting healthy Internet and social media use as well as the topics they are most frequently discussing with their teens. Our findings demonstrate the need for collaborative engagement between the powerful stakeholders in middle school student lives: their parents and teachers.

Authors

• Linda Charmaraman, Wellesley Centers for Women

• Jennifer M. Grossman, Wellesley Centers for Women

• Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, Brown University