Poster #20 - The Role of Parent Mediation in Adolescents’ Peer Interactions on Social Media

• In Event: 2-001 - Poster Session 1 during Breakfast

Abstract

Parental mediation is parental practices focusing on youth media use, such as discussion of media content and co-use. Research suggests that parental mediation is related to adolescents’ online behavior (Len-Rios et al., 2016; Rosen, Cheever, & Carrier, 2008). This study is intended to answer the following research questions:
1. Does parental mediation relate to adolescents’ peer interactions on social media?
2. Are there gender, age, and racial differences in parental mediation and peer interactions on social media?
This study is a secondary analysis of the Pew Internet and American Life Project’s 2011 Teens and Digital Citizenship Survey. The participants included 799 adolescents between 12 – 17 year-olds, and their parents (N = 799). The racial/ethnic distribution of the sample was 63.4% Caucasian, 11.7% African-American, 18.1% Hispanic, and 6.8% others. Average age of the parents was 42 year olds, with 56.2% female parents. To access adolescents’ peer interactions on social media, the participants were asked to identify whether they have ever had an experience on social media that (a) resulted in a face to face argument or confrontation with someone; (b) caused a problem with their parents; (c) resulted in a physical fight with someone else; (d) ended their relationships with someone; (e) made them feel closer to another person; (f) made them feel nervous about going to school the next day; (g) got them in trouble at school; and (h) made them feel good about themselves. The items were scored on a 2-point scale: 1 = “Yes”, 2 = “No”.
To access parental mediation, the parents were asked to identify whether they had talked to their children about (a) ways to behave towards other people online; and (b) what kinds of things should and should not be shared online. The items were scored on a 2-point scale: 1 = “Yes”, 2 = “No”.
Pearson chi-square test analyses was conducted to examine the relationships between parental mediation and adolescents’ peer interactions on social media. Preliminary analyses reveal that parents’ suggestion about ways to behave towards other people online was significantly related to adolescents’ having fewer negative peer interactions on social media. Adolescents were less like to feel nervous about going school the next day and to end friendships with someone on social media. Implication for the role of parents in terms of facilitating positive social media peer interactions will be discussed.

Authors

• Thitirat Sriplo, University of Illinois at Chicago
  Presenting Author

• Marisha Lynnette Humphries, University of Illinois at Chicago