Study: Explicit content, wasting time top parents' social media concerns
Story at a glance When it comes to social media, parents are mostly concerned with teenagers being exposed to inappropriate content or wasting too much time, according to a new survey. A Pew Research Center survey of 1,316 parents published Friday found that 46 percent are “extremely” or “very” worried about children between the...
Story at a glance
- A new Pew Research Center survey found that 46 percent of parents are seriously worried about their teenage children being exposed to explicit content on social media.
- Hispanic parents were the most concerned about their children being exposed to inappropriate content online.
- Less than 30 percent of parents admitted to having serious concerns about the impact of social media use on their child’s mental health.
When it comes to social media, parents are mostly concerned with teenagers being exposed to inappropriate content or wasting too much time, according to a new survey.
A Pew Research Center survey of 1,316 parents published Friday found that 46 percent are “extremely” or “very” worried about children between the ages of 13 and 17 being exposed to explicit content on social media apps like TikTok, Instagram or Facebook.
Another 25 percent of parents said they are “somewhat” worried about their teens being exposed to explicit content while using a social media app.
An almost equal number of parents reported concerns about just how much time their teenager spends on social media.
About 42 percent of parents said they are “extremely or very worried” about their teenage child “wasting too much time” on social media, while 38 percent admitted to having the same level of concern about social media distracting their child from completing homework.
And while research shows a link between social media use and mental health issues, only a small portion of survey respondents expressed serious worries about their teenager developing anxiety or depression from using platforms like TikTok or Snapchat.
Just over a quarter (28 percent) of parents surveyed said they were “extremely” or “very” concerned about their teenager developing anxiety or depression from social media use.
Meanwhile, 47 percent of parents admitted to being “a little” or not worried at all about the impact of social media on their teen’s mental health.
Pew researchers also found that parent concerns over their teenager’s social media use varied by race and ethnicity, with Hispanic parents the most concerned about their children being exposed to explicit content.
Over half of parents of Hispanic parents who responded to the survey reported being seriously concerned about their teenager being exposed to explicit content on social media.
Meanwhile, 45 percent of white parents and 42 percent of Black parents admitted to having the same level of worry.