Specifics of communication between teenagers and their parents online
Larin Ilia (Russia)
Sadovnikova Tatiana (Russia)
Sections:
Interdisciplinary childhood studies;
Online and offline interaction with peers in childhood and adolescence;
Family as a mediator of the child digital experience;
Abstract
Relevance:
The social situation of development (SSR) of modern adolescents is undergoing significant changes, which are caused by the rapid development of digital society. Information and computer technologies affect every stage of children's development Concepts such as "digital competence," "alternative identity," "digital childhood," and "digital socialization" have become well-established in scientific discourse. Global changes in society and children's development impact the main institution for children's upbringing - the family. However, online communication between adolescents and their parents still is poorly investigated
Objective: Online and offline children-parent communication
Methods: 1) the customized (authorial) “Questionnaire of adolescents’ needs to communicate with their parents online and online” (QANCP); 2) The modified version of the "Unfinished sentences".
Selection: 128 teenagers (56 boys and 72 girls, age 15–17) took part in the research
Results:
Adolescents now prefer to meet some of their communication needs with their parents online, such as the part of communication that is responsible for solving every-day issues.
According to the results of a study conducted using "unfinished sentences", adolescents generally assess online communication with their parents as less emotional than offline communication. In addition, they rate the sphere of online communication as "safer" than offline communication. It is important to note, however, that despite these preferences, teenagers still prefer to discuss emotionally significant issues with their parents in person, leaving online for less "emotionally significant topics".
Conclusion:
Thus, while the online environment may be subjectively safer for adolescents when communicating with their parents about less significant topics, adolescents still need emotional support from adults for personally significant problems. As a result, offline communication with parents remains a priority for them. We plan to conduct further research on this topic, focusing on the detailed description of the phenomenon of communication between adolescents and their parents online.