Predicting the use of social media in childcare through parenting styles
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/Hum.2026.11034Keywords:
Parenting styles, social media use, Sultanate of Oman.Abstract
Objectives: The current study investigates the potential to predict the use of social media in childcare based on parenting styles in the Sultanate of Oman.
Method: A descriptive correlational approach was employed with a convenience sample of parents from the governorates of Muscat, North Al Sharqiyah, and South Al Sharqiyah in Oman. The sample included 201 male and female parents. Two instruments were used: the Social Media Use in Child Care Scale and Buri’s Parenting Styles Scale in its Arabic version adapted to the Omani context. The study tools were administered electronically to all participants.
Results: The findings revealed that social media use in childcare can be predicted through the authoritative parenting style, particularly in the following dimensions: awareness of child health care methods, awareness of psychological care methods, awareness of correct and incorrect parenting methods, and the influence of social media on parenting approaches. The results also indicated that social media use could be predicted through the authoritarian parenting style in the dimension related to the impact of social media on parenting practices.
Conclusion: The authoritative parenting style was the most practiced among the sample, and social media use in childcare can be predicted through this style across all dimensions of the social media use in childcare scale. The study recommends providing reliable, official social media accounts in the Sultanate of Oman to share methods and strategies for childcare that parents can consult when facing parenting challenges.
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