Parents Fear Social Media Is Hurting Family Life. Study Says Otherwise
Summary
A study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology tracked nearly 1,000 young people and their parents for ten years. It found that using social media more does not harm family relationships or cause family conflicts as many people think.Key Facts
- Researchers followed 979 participants aged 10 to 20 from Norway over ten years.
- The study used detailed methods including interviews, observations, and smartphone data, not just surveys.
- Most previous studies looked at one moment in time, but this study tracked changes over many years.
- Out of 106 tested connections between social media use and family bonds, only two were weakly significant and likely due to bias.
- The study found no clear evidence that using or increasing social media use harms family relationships.
- The way and context of using social media (such as during meals or conversations) may affect family moments more than the total time spent.
- Researchers suggest families focus on protecting important times like meals and conversations from interruptions by phones.
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