Parents are more active on Facebook, according to a study
The relationship of parents with new technologies and social networks has been changing from generation to generation. A growing number of parents consult the Internet on numerous issues that concern them about parenting, health and education of their children or that they wish to share with their friends and family celebrations or achievements of their children. This is reflected in a study by Facebook IQ that explores how paternity has changed thanks to technology.
This study, developed with parents from 8 different countries, including Spain, has analyzed how different generations are parents of the generation Baby Boom (between 50 and 65 years old), of the Generation X (between 35 and 49 years old) Or the Y or Millennial generation (between 18 and 35 years old), have been adapting new technologies to their day to day.
Spanish parents and new technologies
These are some brushstrokes of the image that the study of Spanish parents shows:
1. Having a child changes your life. It affects many aspects of his life, especially working hours, especially in the case of mothers of the X and Millennial generations and work and family conciliation. 55% of all Spanish mothers surveyed said that having a child has modified their work schedule.
2. Children influence household decisions. 65% of parents surveyed say that they buy more products specific to children than those that their parents bought and 51% acknowledge that their son exercises more influence over purchasing decisions than they did as children.
3. The family, the most important thing. The parents of the Baby Boom generation are the most positive when it comes to defining their family, while those of later generations show some concern or dissatisfaction.
4. Excess of information. In comparison with their parents, today's parents have greater access to information, although in the case of Millenials, an excess of information can affect their confidence in themselves by questioning their decisions much more.
Relationship of parents and technology, according to the generation to which they belong
Parenting, the task of educating happy and healthy children, is timeless. But the day to day of parents is very different from how it was. From the moment the news of a new fatherhood arrives, the relationship of those parents with the world and with technology changes. Facebook IQ wanted to understand how paternity has changed under the focus of the new ally of dads and moms, technology. And these are the main conclusions of the study:
1. What does having children mean? Having a child has more impact on the working hours of mothers belonging to Generation X and Millennial.
- Generation Baby Boom: Having children basically affects money, both the ones who save (71%) and the expenses (75%).
- Generation X: children influence the leisure services they consume (50%) and in the social circle with which they are related (48%)
- Milenials or Generation Y: the children fundamentally modify the use of their free time (72%), their work schedule (49%) and the time they surf the Internet from their mobile device (45%)
2. How do you see your family? Among the common adjectives when describing their family unit we find happy, affectionate, connected and "a team". Although, on the other hand, parents also manifest themselves limited in time, stressed and worried about money.
- Parents Baby Boomers They are the most positive when it comes to defining their family, most consider them affectionate and satisfied.
- Parents of generation X They say they are, on the one hand, happy and on the other they are worried about money.
- The parents of generation Y they are defined mostly as a team and connected. And, although they are the least satisfied, they are the most optimistic.
3. How do they look with respect to their parents? In Spain, 84% of parents surveyed claim to have more access to information than their parents, and 76% say they are more informed than their parents.
- The Baby Boomers they claim to be more involved in their children's activities (72%) and to listen to them more than their parents (66%).
- Parents of Generation X: only 33% say they are more concerned about the future of their children than their parents were.
- The Millenials: Although 83% claim to have more access to information than their parents, it is less (68%) that they consider themselves better informed than their predecessors.
The mobile and the parents of today
According to this study, mobile is vital for parents, who spend more time on Facebook on mobile (1.3 times more) than people without children.The smartphone has become a necessity for parents, which helps them stay connected and informed, and capture and share the most important moments of their children
- The Baby Boomers They have seen how technology has restructured their world. For 61% mobile devices help them stay in touch with their children, and 39% allow them to be aware of what their children like.
- Generation X uses mobile mostly (46%) to keep their children entertained.
- The Generation Y. The mobile device helps them stay in contact with other family members (66%) and to be a better consumer when making family purchases (31%)
How do Facebook use families?
The use of Facebook increases as we move from generation to generation. First-time parents are active on Facebook in the early hours of the day, coinciding with the first feeding sessions of their children. They connect on the mobile very early, from 4 in the morning, with a peak at 07:00 h.
- 79% of parents of the Baby Boom generation They use Facebook at least once a week. And 68% use it at least once a day to inform themselves before making family decisions.
- 80% of parents of Generation X they use Facebook at least once a week and 65% enter at least once a day to inform themselves before making family decisions.
- 84% of parents of Generation Y they use Facebook at least once a week and 59% enter at least once a day to inform themselves before making family decisions.
Rocío González
