Problems of Social Media and Their Relation to Family Disintegration: Perspectives from Families in Northern Jordan

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigates the relationship between social media (SM) and family disintegration from the perspectives of Jordanian families in Irbid city, located in the north of Jordan. It explores this relationship in light of various variables, including gender, age, family's monthly income, and educational level. Methods: The study sample consisted of 294 fathers and mothers randomly chosen from Irbid city. A questionnaire was used as a means of data collection. Results: The study revealed that 63.6% of the sample confirmed a strong relationship between social media and the increasing cases of family disintegration in Jordanian society. Additionally, 50.7% of the participants reported the occurrence of family disintegration cases within their social environment. The participants believed that social media has contributed to higher divorce rates, marital disputes, domestic violence, spouse desertion, and poor marital and family relations. They also identified social media as a source of family instability, citing its role in generating conflicts within families, facilitating sexual deviations among children, promoting unhealthy marital relationships, contributing to children's disobedience towards their fathers, increasing rates of marital infidelity in both women and men, and undermining the moral and value system of Jordanian families. Conclusions: The study concluded that there were no statistically significant differences in the effects of social media on family disintegration based on gender, family's monthly income, and educational level. The study recommends raising awareness among families and society about the potential dangers associated with improper use of social media platforms.