The Impact of Indian Parents' Use and Satisfaction with Social Media on their Children's Health: A Cross-Sectional Study | Original Article

ABSTRACT:

ABSTRACT

Parental social support and health information may be more readily available to those who use social media, according to some studies. The use of social media by parents is associated with both positive and bad results, such as increased stress, sadness, and distraction. This research applies the uses and gratifications theory to investigate the relationship between parents' social media usage and their family's well-being, moving beyond measurements of parents' own mental health. Parents whose primary motivation for using social media is to gain knowledge and make connections are expected to have a positive impact on their family's health, whereas parents whose primary motivation is to have fun on these platforms are expected to have the opposite effect. A Qualtrics panel was used to recruit 500 heterosexual married or cohabiting couples for the sample. Both parents filled out the survey, and the children's ages ranged from three to thirteen. The results showed that there was a correlation between dads' usage of social media for amusement and interacting with loved ones and improved family health and resources (p < 0.01). A statistically significant association between mother social media usage and family health indicators was not found, however. No correlation was found between parental social media usage and worse family health outcomes. To trace the link between social media, use and family wellness over time, longitudinal studies are required. If public health workers are serious about making families healthier, they should think about ways to expand health services for dads via social media.