Document Type : Research Paper
Author
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Management, Social Sciences and Media, University of Religions and Denominations, Qom, Iran.
Abstract
Abstract:
The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between parents' media literacy and the level of addiction to digital media in female high school students in Qom province in 1403. This research applied a quantitative approach (descriptive survey) to collect data. The statistical population was secondary school female students in Qom province in 1403. Using the Cochran formula, 257 people were considered as a statistical sample after completing the questionnaires. The data collection tool was Yang et al.'s (1998) 20-question questionnaire. The results indicated a significant and negative relationship between all dimensions of parents' media literacy (cognitive, emotional, aesthetic, and moral dimensions derived from Potter's theory of media literacy) and addiction to digital media in the target students. Based on the findings of the research, it seems necessary for school administrators, in cooperation with the Supreme Council of Cyber Space and other relevant institutions, to have a written plan and policy for teaching media literacy to families, especially parents, and to implement it seriously and continuously on their agenda.
In the current research, the relationship between parents (specially mothers)' media literacy level and digital media addiction of female high school students in Qom province in 1403 was investigated. The results of this research indicate a negative relationship, as parents' media literacy increases, the level of addiction to digital media among students decreases. These findings align with Elizabeth Tamman's media literacy theory, which emphasizes the importance of personal planning in media usage. This planning helps individuals choose the messages they consume and avoid unnecessary media consumption.
The results of this study emphasize the importance of increasing parents' media literacy to influence their children's media consumption patterns. Continuous research with diverse populations is necessary to develop effective policies and strategies for teaching media literacy to individuals of all ages and backgrounds.
Based on the findings of the present research, it was determined that 102 students have a moderate level of addiction to digital media. The media literacy of 92 parents in the cognitive dimension is high, while 104 parents have a high level in the emotional dimension, 119 in the aesthetic dimension, and 115 in the ethical dimension. Thus, among the media literacy dimensions, the ethical dimension is prioritized first, followed by the aesthetic dimension, then the emotional dimension, and finally the cognitive dimension among parents. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to examine the relationship between the dimensions of parents' media literacy and addiction to digital media. The significance level in all dimensions of media literacy was less than 0.05, indicating that there is a relationship between all dimensions of media literacy and addiction to digital media. This coefficient is negative across all dimensions, meaning that as the dimensions of parents' media literacy increase, the level of addiction to digital media among students decreases. Moral dimension (Spearman's correlation coefficient -0.312) in the first priority, emotional dimension in the second priority (-0.257), cognitive dimension (-0.145) in the third priority, and finally aesthetic dimension (-0.117) have an inverse relationship with addiction to digital media. Therefore, there is a significant negative relationship between the dimensions of parents' media literacy and addiction to digital media among students, confirming hypotheses 1 to 4. Additionally, the results indicated that there is a significant relationship between parents' age and addiction to digital media among high school girls in Qom province in 2024, as the significance level is 0.002, which is less than 0.05. There is also a significant relationship between parents' education level and addiction to digital media among high school girls in Qom province in 2024 since the significance level is 0.000, which is also less than 0.05. Given that the Chi-square coefficient in this research for education level is 46.035 and then for age it is 21.079, it can be concluded that parents' education level has a stronger relationship with students' addiction to digital media compared to their age.
Future research should consider the mediating role of parents' cultural identity, religiosity, lifestyle, and social capital in addressing children's electronic addiction. Additionally, studies on electronic game addiction from individual, family, and societal perspectives, as well as developing an ideal model for using digital media in Iranian families with an Islamic approach, should be explored.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)