The MySpace Generation Parenting Children in a Virtual World: How Parental Attachment Influences Teen Online Behavior Larry Rosen, Ph.D. Nancy Cheever, M.A., Cheyenne Cummings, B.A., Julie Felt, B.A., & Michelle Albertella, B.A. California State University, Dominguez Hills
The MySpace Generation PARENTING STYLE Baumrind (1971) Macoby & Martin (1983) Parenting Style Questionnaire (PSQ: Lamborn et. al; 1991) Two Dimensions: Control/Demandingness/Strictness/Supervision “My parents know exactly where I am most afternoons after school” Warmth/Responsiveness/Parental Involvement “I can count on my parent to help me out if I have some kind of problem.”
The MySpace Generation High Warmth High Strictness High Warmth Low Strictness Low Warmth High Strictness Low Warmth Low Strictness AUTHORITATIVE PARENTING INDULGENT PARENTING AUTHORITARIAN PARENTING NEGLECTFUL PARENTING
The MySpace Generation PARENTING STYLES
The MySpace Generation DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERNCES PARENT GENDER: Fathers more Neglectful (49%) than Mothers (29%) CHILD AGE: Older teens were more likely to have Neglectful or Indulgent parents than younger teens NO OTHER DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES FOR PARENTS OR TEENS
The MySpace Generation Hours Per Week on MySpace Study 3: Indulgent > Authoritative/Authoritarian Study 4: Neglectful > Authoritative
The MySpace Generation Number of MySpace Friends Study 3: Neglectful > Authoritative Study 4: No significant differences
The MySpace Generation Parent-Teen Intimacy Authoritative > Authoritarian/Indulgent > Neglectful
The MySpace Generation Parent-Teen Attachment Authoritative = Indulgent > Authoritarian = Neglectful
The MySpace Generation Teen Social Confidence Authoritative > Authoritarian > Indulgent = Neglectful
The MySpace Generation Teen Feels Socially Liberated Online Authoritative = Authoritarian > Indulgent = Neglectful
The MySpace Generation Self-Esteem Authoritative > Authoritarian/Indulgent > Neglectful
The MySpace Generation Family Support Authoritative > Authoritarian > Indulgent = Neglectful
The MySpace Generation Friend Support Authoritative = Authoritarian = Indulgent > Neglectful
The MySpace Generation Internet Addiction Neglectful > Authoritarian = Authoritative = Indulgent
The MySpace Generation Depression Neglectful > Indulgent/Authoritarian > Authoritative
The MySpace Generation ADDITIONAL FINDINGS Teens with Authoritative, Indulgent, or Authoritarian parents make friends more easily than teens with Neglectful parents Teens with Authoritative parents find it easier to be honest online than those with Neglectful parents Teens with Authoritative parents are less shy online than those with Neglectful parents
The MySpace Generation PARENT HAS SEEN TEEN’S MYSPACE PAGE Authoritative> Indulgent=Authoritarian > Neglectful
The MySpace Generation PARENT NEVER/ALMOST NEVER VIEWS TEEN’S MYSPACE Neglectful >Authoritarian = Indulgent > Authoritative
The MySpace Generation PARENT HAS SEEN TEEN’S MYSPACE PHOTOS Authoritative = Indulgent = Authoritarian > Neglectful
The MySpace Generation COMPUTER IN TEEN’S BEDROOM Study 3: Indulgent=Neglectful > Authoritative=Authoritarian Study 4: Indulgent=Authoritarian=Neglectful > Authoritative
The MySpace Generation PARENT HAS OWN MYSPACE PAGE Study 3: Authoritative=Indulgent >Authoritarian=Neglectful Study 4: No significant differences
The MySpace Generation TEEN WRITES A BLOG Study 3: Indulgent=Neglectful > Authoritative=Authoritarian Study 4: No significant differences
The MySpace Generation TEEN MET WITH SOMEONE FIRST MET ONLINE Study 3: Indulgent > Authoritative=Authoritarian=Neglectful Study 4: No significant differences
The MySpace Generation CONCLUSIONS Parenting Style Impacts Teen MySpace Behaviors Time spent online Number of online friends Meeting online friends offline Writing blogs
The MySpace Generation CONCLUSIONS Parenting Style Impacts Teen Attitudes Online social confidence Finding online experience socially liberating Making friends online Being more honest online Being less shy online
The MySpace Generation CONCLUSIONS Parenting Style Impacts Parent MySpace Behaviors How often parent views teen MySpace page Whether parent has seen teen MySpace photos Whether parent has own MySpace page Where parent locates computer that teen uses
The MySpace Generation CONCLUSIONS Parenting Style Impacts Teen Psychological Health Parent-teen intimacy Parent-teen attachment Teen self-esteem Teen depression Teen Internet addiction Teen family and friend support
The MySpace Generation IMPLICATIONS Parenting style clearly affects all aspects of behavioral uses of MySpace, attitudes toward MySpace and psychological impact of MySpace behavior.
The MySpace Generation IMPLICATIONS Overall, Authoritative parenting setting clear limits with warmth, caring, and teen input positively impacts all aspects of teen interactions with MySpace.
The MySpace Generation
Parental Perceptions of Teen MySpace Behaviors Michelle Albertella, B.A.