Parental monitoring of adolescent social media use: relations with adolescent mental health and self-perception

Parental monitoring of adolescent social media activity was investigated in relation to adolescent mental health and self-perception. Monitoring was assessed from the perspective of parents and adolescents. Participants were 316 parent-adolescent dyads with adolescents ranging in age from 14 to 17 years. Factor analysis supported a 3-factor model of parent-reported parental monitoring with 2 factors (i.e., Control, Open Communication) showing adequate reliability. Adolescent-reported parental monitoring fell along 3 dimensions (i.e., Control, Open Communication, Following). Open Communication was associated with lower adolescent-reported loneliness, whereas parent-reported Control strategies were related to higher adolescent narcissism. Further, parental monitoring did not moderate the relation between adolescent social media use and mental health or self-perception. The results point to the potential benefits of open communication surrounding adolescent social media use, but further work is needed on the developmental role of parental monitoring in the association between social media use and adjustment.

Automated summary

This study explored the relationship between parental monitoring of adolescent social media activity and adolescent mental health and self-perception. The monitoring was assessed from both parents' and adolescents' perspectives. The findings showed that open communication was associated with lower adolescent-reported loneliness, while parent-reported control strategies were related to higher adolescent narcissism. However, parental monitoring did not moderate the link between adolescent social media use and mental health/self-perception.