Does Online Support Help Parents? Investigating Perceptions, Usage, and Emotional Exhaustion

Abstract Parenting can be emotionally demanding, and the availability of online social support has become an increasingly relevant resource for managing stress and exhaustion. However, it remains unclear how parents utilize online platforms for support and whether these platforms contribute to reducing parental burnout. This study examines the associations between emotional exhaustion, online social support, and perceptions of online support in a sample of 221 parents from the Midwestern U.S., all participants utilized some form of online social support. Regression analyses revealed that, of those that access online social support, stronger positive perceptions of online social support were unexpectedly associated with higher emotional exhaustion. Additionally, regression analysis indicated utilizing online social support was linked to lower emotional exhaustion. Additionally, married parents reported higher emotional exhaustion, while parents employed full-time reported lower levels of emotional exhaustion. These findings contribute to the understanding of how online social support may relate to parental well-being and offer implications for researchers and clinicians working to support parents through digital resources.