The family rules. The influence of parenting styles on adolescents' media literacy

• Main Authors: Claudia Riesmeyer, Bernadette Abel, Annika Großmann
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: MedienPädagogik 2019-10-01
• Series: MedienPädagogik: Zeitschrift für Theorie und Praxis der Medienbildung
• Subjects: Family; Media Literacy; Social Networks
• Online Access: https://www.medienpaed.com/article/view/658

The paper examines the relationship between parenting styles concerning media and the ability of young people to criticize media. It is based on 28 qualitative interviews with each parent and their children. Young people use social networks such as Instagram extensively, while their parents use them much less often. Nevertheless, they are the first instance of media socialization. They should communicate norms for media use and inform about opportunities and risks. Instagram fulfils adolescents' desire for social interaction with others or participation in the life of others, documentation of everyday life and the possibility of self-expression through its visual characteristics. The paper develops a typology of young people depending on parenting styles and illustrates their relevance for media criticism. The dimensions of parenting styles heat and control characterize this ability. The higher the warmth of parenting, the higher the children's ability to criticize the media. The influence of control is less clear. It is advantageous to a certain degree and helps the children. If it becomes too strong, control unfolds a rather negative potential that inhibits young people's media literacy.