Parents as Active Bystanders in Adolescents’ Social Media Use

• In Event: Bystanders as a Resource: Understanding Intervention Across the Online and Offline Domain - CANCELLED

Abstract

Social media expose adolescents not only to opportunities but also to risks, including criminogenic content like videos of fights, images of weapons or drugs, calls for rioting, and ‘fast money’ schemes. Repeated exposure to such content might shape adolescents’ perceptions of crime, making it appear acceptable or even aspirational.

For parents, this presents new challenges. Today’s parents of teenagers did not grow up with social media and often feel unprepared to guide them online. Research has largely focused on screen time restrictions (“passive parenting”), while newer approaches emphasize active parenting—discussing online content to promote critical thinking.

This study explores how parents perceive and respond to criminogenic content through interviews and focus groups with adolescents (N=20) and parents (N=20), along with video observations of parent-teen conversations (N =20). Findings highlight parental awareness, solicitation strategies, guidance strategies, and challenges they face. Our findings lay the groundwork for understanding how parents can take on the role of active bystanders—proactively discussing, contextualizing, and countering harmful content. We also discuss factors that shape parents’ ability to do.

By shifting the conversation from restriction to engagement, this research offers new insights into empowering parents as key influencers in their children’s online worlds.

Author

• Evelien Hoeben, NSCR