Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 670

Proceedings of the 2022 3rd International Conference on Mental Health, Education and Human Development (MHEHD 2022)

The Relationship between Family and Social Media

Qing He1,*
1
Melbourne School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, 3052, Australia
*
Corresponding author. Email: heqh@student.unimelb.edu.au

ABSTRACT
In the last few decades, social media has become a vital component of life for adolescents all over the world. As social
media has gradually preoccupied the majority of the time of adolescents’ daily life, leading to concerns about the
negative consequences such as academic achievement, social connection, sleep quality and mental health. Family has
been identified as the primary and foremost component, among others, that has a strong link to social integration and
social media addiction. This review aims to discuss the association between family and adolescents' social media
addiction, which will focus on three causative family-related factors: parenting style, family relationships, and the
socioeconomic status of the family. Specifically, the communication between parents and adolescents are important in
their developmental history, and coping strategies and prevention of addictive behaviour. In addition, dysfunctional
family has a close relationship with social media addiction. For parents, healthcare providers, and intervention
developers, it is necessary to consider family factors in order to support adolescents’ health and development. The
discussion part of the literature still has the limitation of addressing possible strategies and pathways for families to
support adolescents’ health and development.

Keywords: social media addiction, adolescents, family, parents.

examples include the depression and emotional distress

1. INTRODUCTION caused by cyber fraud, bullying, and narcissism [3].

The global expansion of social networks, social Social media tends to have strong reinforcement
media, and the internet users have undergone substantial because of its strong interactive characteristic. As the
quantitative and qualitative changes [1]. For adolescents users continue to have online conversations and check on
who have grown up during the rapid expansion of digital the information and replies, it can automatically turn into
technology, social media has integrated into life, a cycle of habitual and monitoring behaviours that can
education, and culture. A growing number of online result in social media addiction [4]. Poor management of
communication forms around the world such as social media usage can increase the risk of developing
Whatsapp, Snapchat, Facebook, Weibo, and Wechat addictive use behaviour. In many countries, social media
have become the primary mode of communication for addiction has become a growing health concern [5].
adolescents around the world, which has built a bridge Bányai et al. [6]’s study found that among 5961
between virtual communication and social relations. adolescents with an average sixteen years old, nearly 4.5%
of them were at risk of social networking addiction. It
The convenience and efficiency of social media have can be contradictive, especially during the period of lock-
been recognised. It can be advantageous in many ways, down or quarantine due to COVID-19. Specifically,
including self-learning, wide access to information, adolescents and schools rely on social networking sites
lowering the barriers of distance interaction and for learning and discussion purposes; adolescents would
communication, and supporting collaborative group also require social media to maintain social connections
engagement and activities [1]. However, a dramatic with their friends or access to news and information. It is
increase in reliance on social media and excessive use of contradictive as adolescence is a vital stage in a person’s
it can be a double-edged sword. For adolescents, a developmental history. Being addicted to social media
decline in academic performance, social isolation, and and prolonged exposure to social media during the
impaired mental health well-being have been identified formative period without interventions might lead to
as negative consequences of this phenomenon [1,2]. The irreversible harm to life.

Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL.

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Family-related factors have become a focus as family consistent with the results of several other studies [1,8],
members take the most responsibility and are also well- that there was a link between addictive social media use
placed to look after their children. Studies investigated and dropped grades on academic record.
that family relationships, including cohesion and
Except the school performance, social media have a
expressiveness are related to addictive use of social
negative impact psychologically and cognitively. It is
media and internet addiction; excessive social media use
demonstrated by Haand and Shuwang [9] that
can negatively impact on parent-child relationships;
adolescents felt more depressed as the level of social
adolescents with divorced parents, low-income families,
media addiction became higher. Anxiety, stress, and
and families with people who are complete parents might
feelings of hopelessness appeared to be closely related to
have an impact on their social media use [7-9].
long-term excessive use of social media [9]. This point
Meanwhile, researchers focused on the relationship
of view was also supported by Jiang et al. [10], who
between family and social media use, primarily to
revealed that using Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter,
develop guidelines for parents and policymakers to
had a negative impact on information comprehension.
protect their children from social media risks [7-9]. This
review paper examined the association between family
and social media addiction from three aspects: parenting
3. THE CAUSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
style, family relationships, and family socioeconomic ADDICTION: FROM A FAMILY’S
status. PERSPECTIVE
In the discussion of the nature of the behaviour of
2. THE DEFINITION AND IMPACT OF social media addiction, family has been seen as one of
SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION the most important indicators that can significantly
influence a person’s behaviour [11]. Family function
2.1. The Definition of Social Media Addiction refers to the way of family interaction to carry out its duty
for fulfilling family function [12]. van Dijk et al. [11]
A pattern of habitual behaviour characterised by
explored the family function particularly about how
excessive use and concern for social media, which is
family members play their roles, manage their daily
motivated by an uncontrollable urge [4]. This
routines, and communicate and connect emotionally.
compulsive use can be understood as social media
These elements can play the fundamental role in a
addiction. It consumes people's time and effort,
person’s childhood and development history. As an
interfering with their daily activities and impairing other
essential aspect of family environment, family function
important life aspects [4]. Manifestations of social media
can impact on adolescents’ physical, social and
addiction involve symptoms associated with sensory
emotional health [11]. As a result, a dysfunctional family
perception, emotional and physical responses, as well as
can endanger all aspects of a child's development. In
psychological, social or interpersonal issues [4].
comparison, a well-functioning family would be
beneficial for adolescents to feel comfortable and free to
2.2. The Negative Impact of Social Media express their thoughts, interact well with their
Addiction for Adolescents surroundings, and feel more connected to their family
rather than the electronic devices they own. According to
As with the diverse benefits of social media, the
Yayman and Bilgin [13], there was a noteworthy positive
negative impact also covers many dimensions of
association between social media addiction and
people’s life. Based on the study by Boer et al. [5],
unhealthy family functions. Lin et al. [12] has also
adolescents who addicted to social media had a lower life
demonstrated that positive family function can be helpful
satisfaction than the compared group. This was reflected
for minimising social media addiction behaviour.
on different domains of life well-being such as social
well-being, school well-being, physical and mental well-
being. In more detail, adolescents can experience the 3.1. Parenting Style
symptoms similar to other addicted behaviour such as Parenting style has a strong relationship with social
conflicts, self-regulation and tolerance [2]. Intrapsychic media addiction [14]. It is interesting to note that
conflicts are typically characterised by a subjective loss although parenting styles can be categorised, such as
of control, whereas interpersonal conflicts may involve democratic and authoritative, and each has its own
issues pertaining to social relationships when work or definition, advantages and disadvantages in psychology.
education is compromised [2]. In real life, it can be seen In fact, parenting styles most likely need to be person-
in school performance, relationships, daily activities and centered in education. Individual personality and
mental health. The cross-cultural research study tolerance would be considered, and parents might then
conducted by Tsitsika et al. [7] indicated that two or more adjust their way of communicating when educating
hours of use of social media per day were associated with children. The evidence concluded some valuable
internalising problems and reduced academic characteristics of parenting styles rather than comparing
performance and activity [7]. These are partially

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and figuring out which style can be most beneficial for physiological and cognitive changes, they also need to
adolescents to cope with social media addiction or to learn emotional regulation and build resilience as well as
develop prevention strategies [14]. Arokiasamy et al. [14] better understand themselves. Family conflicts, broken
investigated the importance of parental attachment and family relationships, and the following inability to cope
parenting styles for adolescents to overcome internet with unpleasant emotions and environments can create
addiction at a young age and recognised the crucial extra stress and confusion for adolescents. Without
impact of parents and their children's verbal and non- guidance and a safe environment for them to disclose
verbal communication, attachment, and love on confusion and alleviate stress, social media and virtual
children's developing self-esteem, health, and behaviour. communication might take the place.
This observation is partially consistent with the findings
Consistently, van Dijk et al. [11] have mentioned that
of Bloemen and De Coninck [15], who discovered that
adolescents are more likely to have difficulty self-
parental support and control over social media use act as
regulating social media use impulses and experience
a moderator of the relationship between family
stress and anxiety. Biologically, they are under the
characteristics and internet addiction. In addition, the
restriction of internet use during the period of developing
father's support and control can lower the level of internet
fronto-limbic brain circuitry that affects their ability to
addiction among adolescents [15].
self-control [11]. Inter-parental conflicts and divorce
It is undeniable that parent-child relationships are could lead to adolescents’ escaping behaviour into social
unique and irreplaceable. If adolescents perceive non- media and the internet in order to alleviate the stress and
acceptance, lack of response in interaction, and neglect negative emotions from real life [11]. Stress has been
from families, they seek support from social media, recognised as a major trigger of social media addiction,
which offers a place to fulfil their unmet emotional needs and adolescents who have developed cognitive and
[16]. Adolescents who experience any of the above behavioural strategies to avoid real-life challenges are
circumstances can live with low family satisfaction and more inclined to excessive social media use [11]. In spite
under the impact of psychological stress. They can of this, Jabbour et al. [18] assert that there is no obvious
become more hostile towards parents or other correlation between parental divorce and increased social
relationships if there are minor changes in the parents or media addiction. Ellis et al. [19] also argue that risk
family environment. Tas [16] demonstrated that factors for developing addiction behaviour vary due to
adolescents’ depression and anxiety were negatively different susceptibilities and vulnerabilities, which
related to their satisfaction with their family. The more depend on factors such as genetics, developmental
parental communication and support were provided to environment, and culture.
adolescents, the less social media addiction they
Furthermore, adolescents' increasing reliance on
experienced. Also, the perception of family support was
social media and video games can lead to a decline in
negatively related to the degree of internet addiction
family interaction, an increase in family problems, and a
[15,16].
decline in family relationships [20,21]. As a consequence
Parenting styles and family relationships are of such a process, family members are confronted with
correlated to an extent. It can depend on parents' an introverted family structure [21]. When resolving
perception regarding the above strategies and problems, an unhealthy communication style may
characteristics, personal developmental history and life accumulate more unpleasant experiences, trauma, and
experience. From the adolescents’ perspective, their serious problems for both adolescents and parents
acceptability of the parenting style and their cognition [20,22]. All types of issues and difficulties in family
are equally essential. structure can result in different orientations in young
adolescents who grow up in an unhealthy family
3.2. Family Relationships environment [22].

Tsitsika et al. [17] examined the determinants of 3.3. Socioeconomic Status of The Family
adolescents’ social media addiction, which then revealed
that approximately 7% of them have experienced Living in a family with low socioeconomic status has
dysfunctional family relationships. Researchers have a higher chance of addicting to social media resulting
investigated the connection between family interactions from the reduction of inhibitory control and increased
and social media addiction among adolescents. They stress and impulsiveness [21]. You et al. [22]
discovered that a high percentage of adolescent males investigated the relationships between sociodemographic
who are addicted to social media have divorced parents variables, online communication and messaging, as well
and experienced emotional issues [17]. The study as social networks in early adolescence. Findings
showed a correlation between parental divorce and social revealed that adolescents from the following households
media association among adolescents of the same age increased the possibility of exposure to social networking
[17]. Adolescence can be a complicated and challenging websites and subsequently online communication: low-
period for teenagers. While coping with the educated mothers or low-educated fathers; single-parent

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families; and low-income families [22]. A possible account while studying adolescents’ social media
explanation includes the vicious cycle. This could be addiction.
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