Vol. 7, Issue 2, Part E (2025)

This study investigates the influence of social media on children from a parental perspective, using Social Cognitive Theory as the guiding framework. Data were collected from 156 parents in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, through a structured questionnaire designed to measure perceived changes in children’s personal, behavioral, and environmental domains due to social media use. The findings revealed significant associations between increased social media exposure particularly among adolescents aged 14-19-and changes in attention span, emotional well-being, behavior modeling, and peer influence. Urban children were more affected than their rural and semi-urban counterparts, indicating contextual variability in digital experiences. The study also found that parental beliefs, modeling behaviors, and household digital practices play a key role in shaping children’s online engagement. While the results underscore the growing impact of digital environments on child development, they also highlight the importance of parental involvement and the need for responsible media practices. Limitations include the use of self-reported data, a geographically limited sample, and the exclusion of children’s perspectives. The study concludes with a call for longitudinal and mixed-method research to explore the evolving nature of social media’s impact on children and to inform interventions that promote healthy digital habits.