Navigating Social Media: The Influence Of Perceived Parental Media Mediation On Emerging Adults' Gratifications And Usage Patterns

Social media is a pertinent element in a child's life as it boosts communication abilities, cultivates creativity, and grants access to educational resources, while also allowing them to engage with others and share insights. Nonetheless, overindulgence can lead to detrimental consequences like increased anxiety, mood disorders, and impaired social skills due to reduced direct interactions. Parental media mediation is pivotal in determining children social media usage and the satisfaction they experience. The present study is purported to investigate the association between perceived parental media mediation styles and social media usage and gratification among emerging adults, along with the exploration of social networking usage as a potential mediator the bridges the association between the Perceived Parental Media Mediation (PPMM) and Social Media Usage and Gratifications (SMUG). Emerging Adults were requested to take part in the study via online survey. Findings showed that restrictive mediation styles are negative associated with SMUG except autonomy-supportive restriction mediation while the active mediation styles are positively linked with SMUG. Social Networking Usage mediates the association between two dimensions of PPMM (restrictive and active) and two facets of SMUG (deepening existing associations and expanding current interpersonal network) while there is non-significant mediation of  SNUQ between the two parental media mediation's (active and restrictive) and third facet of SMUG (information sharing and exchange).The results emphasize the essential role of parental vigilance in shaping children's social media usage and should be incorporated in interventions designed to enhance parental role in maintaining children's virtual interactions.