Mothers’ Social Media Dependence and Children’s Behavioral Problems: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Introduction: Social media sites have provided facilities. However, these networks have also been associated with adverse effects including social media addiction. The present study explored the effects of mothers’ social media addiction on marital satisfaction. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted based on the grounded theory and the data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The research sample consisted of mothers who completed the Social Media Harmful Use Scale and were dependent on social networks. The participants in the research sample were selected using purposive sampling. Results: The collected data were analyzed using theoretical coding including open, axial, and selective coding. Accordingly, 4 main categories, 9 subcategories, and 34 themes were identified in the data. The results of the study showed that the dependence on social media is the core category in this study. Other categories included the interference of the use of social media with the relationships with family members, the quality of the relationship with family members (spouse and child), and children's behavioral problems (externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and communication problems). Conclusion: The present study showed that the mothers’ dependence on social media is associated with low marital satisfaction as well as an adverse relationship with their husband and children, which is related to their children's behavioral problems. According to the findings, dependence on social media paves the way for problems such as interference of the use of social media with the relationship with the spouse and children, the quality of the relationships, and children's behavioral problems.