The social media has in the past few years gained popularity in an exponential manner. People are finding themselves on social media every free minute that they have with many people waking up in the morning to check the social media as the first thing and sleeping to the same routine. Social media has become a prominent part of many people in the society. However, this has translated to a situation where the family unit is at risk as people meet up and instead of sharing their day experiences with the people around them, they are deeply engrossed on their phones. While on the other hand, social media enables the same members of the family to stay in touch when they are apart from each other. Joo " Teng (2017) indicate that the impact of the social media could be positive or negative depending on the perception of the users. The study is aimed at exploring the impact that social media has on the family and whether it should be encouraged or discouraged.
Research Questions
Communication in the community could either be intrapersonal when it is a conversation with oneself or intrapersonal when it is with people that one has a relationship (Joo " Teng, 2017). People could either communicate on a face to face basis or through electronic media. In the world people today, there is an expenditure of over 27 hours in a week on social media meaning that is the place where people are utilizing a lot of their free time which in the past years was spent in face to face communication with friends or family. In addition, people are increasingly spending many hours apart due to demanding job obligations and there is a lack of time for the husband and the wife to communicate in person. Time has become a scarce resource and it is fundamental that people find a way of interacting with other, sharing experiences and challenges on the go (Subramanian, 2017). Such findings lead to asking the study questions:
1. Are people spending the time communicating with their families or with strangers in the cloud?
2. Does the use of social media has a positive or negative impact on family unity?
3. What role does time constraint play in enhancing the use of social media in the family?
Aims of the Study
1. To investigate the use of social media on family interaction on a day to day basis
2. To examine how the social media influences family cohesion when people
3. To establish the advantages and disadvantages of using social media in the family
Literature Review
The use of social media in the families has been studied in different perspectives by different scholars. The use of social media by the military in the past was shunned and banned by the government for security purposes. Today, the use of social media has been embraced and promoted even by the Pentagon (Matthews-Juarez, Juarez, and Faulkner, 2013). The study indicates that in the year 2010 the Deputy Defense Secretary requested a review of the benefits of using social media compared to the drawbacks. The research by the Pentagon found that the advantages outweighed the disadvantages and thus authorized its use with minimal restrictions.
The study indicated that social media provided a platform for instant communication compared to letters that would take days to reach the recipients and in some instances get lost in the movement. Further, the social media has provided a platform for men and women in the military to participate in family events on a real-time basis with some being remotely available in the birth of their children (Matthews-Juarez, Juarez, and Faulkner, 2013). However, it is not without its limitations as the social media has the risk of heightening tension among family members as they become more aware of the conditions that their loved ones are exposed. The military however at the end of the day brings in more benefits as family members stay alert of what is going on in their homes and can, therefore, manage feeling of depression, and loneliness that is rampant for military men. The advantages cited in the use of social media by the military included immediacy, ability to use frequently with ease and the permanence of communication.
The use of social media by adolescents and teenagers has come in to promote open and healthy communication which translates to positive (Coyne et al., 2014). The research showed that the use of media allows parents to be more involved in the family system and thus have a higher likelihood of averting issues relating to substance abuse and negative behavior change. Further, communication on social media has been seen to yield healthy interactions that have the likelihood of achieving positive outcomes such as self-acceptance and family satisfaction (Coyne et al., 2014). The study found that social media is the major communication tool used in communication which fosters sharing photographs that enable people to connect despite not being in the same location. The study further indicated that social media provides a platform to emotionally connect with each other.
In another study Salgur (2016), indicates that social networks form an important part of the life of teenagers and adults and people would find it hard to live without the social media sites that they have subscribed. The use of social media has been facilitated by the use of mobile devices including phones, laptops, and tablets. Social media was seen to improve communication with friends which however reduces the ability to communicate on a face to face basis. Salgur (2016) found that young people are not spending enough time with their families and the use of social media negatively affects the time that they would otherwise spend with their families.
Human beings crave to have relationships and bond and this is a feature that comes readily with the use of social media. The risk to the family unit is presented when people find people on social media that gives them such bonding and thus drawing them away from their families. The human system is made in such a manner to desire connection and convey their thoughts to each other. If people find communication that allows them to share meaning on the internet, then they drift their attention to such areas (Moawad and Ebrahem, 2016). Many families today are in a situation where children are spaced and not in the same age group. Parents are busy working and making their own connections. Before families realize, they have drifted so far away from each other that they no longer find meaning in sitting and having meaningful conversations with each other. In the society today, parents are also increasingly using the social media with some children feeling that parents are addicted to their mobile phone. Children are seen to desire the attention of their parents and spend quality time with them. It is becoming increasingly difficult to draw the line as to the extent of usefulness of social media and when it becomes too much (Moawad and Ebrahem, 2016). The study recommended that parents need to educate themselves on the risks and the potential of social media to ensure they avert risky online behavior that could easily endanger the entire family.
The social media is a risky place where children are exposed to content that they may not be ready to receive. The response is likely to be negative behavior leading to conflict between the family members and a rift between the parents and the teenagers which is further escalated by the generational gap (Swist, Collin, McCormack " Third, 2015). It is critical that parents stay up to date with the content that their children are consuming to ensure that they are able to use the social media to create learning networks on issues such as financial literacy. Such knowledge would enhance the manner in which the family relates as everybody would understand the existing budgets and the financial limitations of the family. It would also create an array of topics and similar interests that the family would enjoy discussing.
The literature review is an indicator that there are diverse thoughts on the impact that social media has on the family unity. This study is therefore important to add to the body of knowledge on the impact that social media has and to make the necessary conclusions and recommendations based on the findings of the study.
Methodology
The methodology looks into the manner in which data will be collected in a bid to answer the research questions and achieve the objectives of the study. The chapter will answer the questions as to how data will be collected and how it will be analyzed. The study is qualitative in nature as it is driven by the need to get data on underlying reasons and phenomenon through ethnography which looks into describing the habits of people in the use of social media and family connections.
Data for the study will be primary in nature and will be collected through online questionnaires or surveys and interviews. The questionnaires will be used to collect information from 50 selected families with an aim of having at least two members giving their opinion. There will, therefore, be a total of 100 questionnaires filled. Interviews will be conducted through a structured interview guide to ensure there is clarification of the responses given from the questionnaires.
The advantages of using interview is that one gains insight to issues that would otherwise have remained inaccessible as one can get more on the experiences of the respondents and their attitudes. Further, they are a convenient manner of data collection as respondents can be reached irrespective of their location and time give access to phone interviews (Perakyala " Ruusuvuori, 2011). Online Surveys are a realistic manner of data collection that save time and allow respondents to respond within their natural environment and not feel like they are in a controlled setting (Joo " Teng, 2017).
Data Analysis
Qualitative data analysis requires being creative and inspirational to ensure that it is done in a systematic manner. Data analysis in the study will begin with sorting the data collected, transcribing any voice recording and looking for inconsistencies in the data collected. It will be followed by coding the data to create patterns and themes to create a formal body of knowledge. Finally, the data will be presented in charts and matrices. Qualitative data analysis is simplified into two core stages of description and interpretation. Qualitative data requires being described because it is expected that the researcher has prior knowledge of the topic. The researcher, therefore, has the ability to simplify the topic and present it in matrices and charts that are easy to interpret (Neale, 2016).
Ethical Issues
Qualitative research requires the application of ethical standards as they relate to living respondents who may be affected by the results of the study. The ethical considerations in the study included maintaining integrity to ensure that relationships created in the period of the study do not compromise the study. High levels of professionalism is to be maintained in the study. Second, the study will maintain the respect of the respondents by ensuring there is accuracy and completeness in transcription of the interviews. Third, the study maintained high levels of confidentiality by ensuring the questionnaires do not include the names of the participants. Fourth, transparency is maintained by informing the participants on the use of the research findings and that everyone has the right to respond or refuse to respond. Finally, consent is requested from the university giving permission to collect data and giving the disclaimer that data collected will only be used for research purposes (National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research, 2007).
Dissemination and Policy Relevance
The study is community-based and therefore sharing the findings of the study is crucial. (McDavitt et al., 2016) indicates that distribution of research findings is a vital part of research that involves the participation of the community. It will provide the participants on creating the necessary interventions based on the recommendations of the study. Dissemination of information will be done through participative interactive dialogue. Such dialogues lead to even dialogues that will illuminate the issues affecting the community. Further, it will allow criticism of the findings to allow further discovery of information.
References
Coyne, S., Padilla-Walker, L., Fraser, A., Fellows, K. and Day, R. (2014). “Media Time = Family Time”.Journal of Adolescent Research, 29(5), pp.663-688.
Joo, T. and Teng, C. (2017). Impacts of Social Media (Facebook) on Human Communication and Relationships: A View on Behavioral Change and Social Unity. International Journal of Knowledge Content Development " Technology, 7(4), pp.27-50.
Matthews-Juarez, P., Juarez, P. and Faulkner, R. (2013). Social Media and Military Families: A Perspective. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 23(6), pp.769-776.
McDavitt, B., Bogart, L., Mutchler, M., Wagner, G., Green, H., Lawrence, S., Mutepfa, K. and Nogg, K. (2016). Dissemination as Dialogue: Building Trust and Sharing Research Findings Through Community Engagement. Preventing Chronic Disease, 13.
Moawad, G. and Ebrahem, G. (2016). The Relationship between use of Technology and Parent- Adolescents Social Relationship. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(14), pp.168-178.
National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research – 2007
Neale, J. (2016). Iterative categorization (IC): a systematic technique for analysing qualitative data. Addiction, 111(6), pp.1096-1106.
Perakyala A. and J. Ruusuvuori (2011). Analyzing Talk and Text, In Denzin Norman K. and Yvonna S. Lincoln (Eds.), The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research, London: Sage (pp. 529-543).
Subramanian, K (2017). Influence of Social Media in Interpersonal Communication. International Journal of Scientific Progress And Research (IJSPR). 109. pages 70-75.
Swist, T., Collin, P., McCormack, J. " Third, A. (2015). Social media and the wellbeing of children and young people: A literature review. Perth, WA: Prepared for the Commissioner for Children and Young People, Western Australia.
Yu, X., Anaya, G., Miao, L., Lehto, X. and Wong, I. (2017). The Impact of Smartphones on the Family Vacation Experience. Journal of Travel Research, 57(5), pp.579-596.
Appendix: Questionnaire
Part A: Questions to Consumers
(Tick the appropriate answer)
1. How much time do you spend on social media (Including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, games and blogs)?
a. Less than one hour
b. 1 - 2 Hours
c. 3 – 4 hours
d. More than 4 hours
e. I do not spend time on the internet
2. What activities do you engage in on the social media platforms with the family
a. Informing the parents of my activities
b. Keeping in touch on personal progress
c. Education each other
d. Others….Please Specify……………………………………….
3. Social Media has reduced the amount of time I spend with my family
a. Yes, I spend too much time on social media
b. No, I balance the time I spend on social media with that spent with family
4. What is your opinion on using social media in the family
a. It is overused in the 21st Century
b. If carefully used it is more beneficial than harmful
c. Since I started using the social media, I find it easier to communicate with my family
d. I find it annoying especially when used by parents
a. Yes
b. No
6. Social media has brought our family close as we are constantly in touch despite the distance between us
a. Yes
b. No
