Parental Contribution to Developing Moral Character in Adolescent Social Media Users

Abstract

Background: The rapid expansion of social media has transformed adolescents' patterns of communication, interaction, and access to information, creating both opportunities and challenges for their moral development. Excessive exposure to digital content without adequate parental supervision may influence adolescents' attitudes, behaviors, and character formation. Therefore, parental involvement is essential in guiding adolescents to use social media responsibly while maintaining moral values. Objective: This study aims to examine the contribution of parents to fostering the moral character of adolescents who actively use social media. Method: This study employed a qualitative approach using a phenomenological design. The research was conducted in Pagar Dewa Village, Selebar District, Bengkulu City, in 2023. Data were collected through observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation involving parents and adolescents. The collected data were analyzed using the Miles and Huberman interactive model, including data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. Results: The findings indicate that parents play a vital role in developing adolescents' moral character by providing moral education, modeling ethical behavior, supervising social media use, and offering continuous guidance and advice. Effective communication and consistent parental involvement strengthen adolescents' ability to distinguish positive from negative online influences. Conclusion: Parental guidance is a key factor in promoting adolescents' moral development and responsible social media use through value-based education, supervision, and positive role modeling. Originality/Value: This study provides empirical and contextual novelty in the fields of family sociology and digital character education by uncovering an integrated parental involvement framework encompassing moral education, ethical role modeling, digital monitoring, and continuous interpersonal communication regarding the mitigation of negative social media impacts on adolescent moral development within the context of an urban community setting in Pagar Dewa Village, Bengkulu City, which has received limited empirical exploration through a phenomenological lens. These findings enrich empirical evidence and serve as a strategic reference for designing family-based digital parenting guidelines, formulating digital media literacy initiatives, and developing youth character protection policies amid rapid technological disruption.