Download or read book The Role of Social Media in Today's Parenting written by Tessa Dillon and published by . This book was released on 2019 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this study is to explore where parents of young children find information about child-rearing issues and whether social media has any impact in their decision-making process. Social media has given rise to specialty parent groups that parents can go to for instant information, advice or support, but does experience trump expertise when it comes to raising children? Previous research shows that today's parents want to get information on their own schedule, have time to think through what they learn and be able to talk about the decision with others. The literature review describes why parents turn to social media instead of more traditional sources, who accesses and uses social media for parental information, and what information they are looking for, along with its effectiveness. The anonymous, mixed methods study was sent out via survey to four different social media groups to parents across Ohio and Northern Kentucky. Part one of the survey addressed demographic information and parents' involvement and experiences with parent oriented sub-groups on Facebook. The second part used short answer questions to examine respondents' perceptions about where they received the most useful information regarding their children, where they plan to turn the next time an issue arises, and why they do or do not use social media to find support, and advice or information from other parents. Findings from this research indicates that mothers in their early thirties who do not work outside the home are the most likely to use a Facebook parent group to find information on their children and parenting, as well as the most likely to find the information they receive to be effective. Across all demographics present in this study, parents overwhelmingly respond that Facebook is the first place they will search the next time they have an issue or question. One overall theme that emerged from both the previous research and the data from this survey is the concept of support for parents with young children. This is one reason that so many turn to social media instead of more traditional sources like their parents, friends or doctors because they want immediate support. In this sense, it is clear that parenting experience overrides expertise in the eyes of today's parents.(--leaves ii-iii).