Abstract
Modern parents are using social media platforms to seek information and advice on parenting. The advent of parent influencers has led first-time parents to seek advice online. This study explores the factors parents deem important while seeking advice and then creates a typology of parents who consume social media advice. The first research question is answered by interviewing 21 parents to understand the factors important to them while seeking parenting advice. To answer the second research question, 21 respondents performed a q-sorting of 36 statements that were prepared using extant literature and the interviews. Six factors emerged as important for parents, namely, trust, reliability, scientific and logical, over information, control, and unlearning. Upon the factor analysis of q-sorting, four types of parents emerged- Slow-Changers & Untrusting, Evolving Merit-based, Trusting & Irresponsible, Involved, Overwhelmed, & Responsible. This study explores how people approach parenting advice on social media. The factors, such as trustworthiness and reliability of content and social media influencers, are intuitive; however, the unlearning of traditional methods due to the influencers’ advice is a novel finding and puts them in a responsible position socially. Certain parents emerge as unevolving while others share content irresponsibly. Only a proportion of parents verify information before sharing and implementing in their own lives. This is the first study that categorizes parents seeking parenting information online through social media influencers. This would help the parents to understand which kind of parent they are, and also the influencers to curate content, keeping the typology in mind.
Presenters
Devasheesh MathurAssistant Professor, Strategy and General Management, International Management Institute Delhi, Delhi, India
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Health Promotion and Education
KEYWORDS
Parenting, Social Media, Influencers, Typology
