Peer-reviewed article
A Paradox Theory of Social Media Consumption and Child Well-Being
Sheau Fen Yap, Weng Marc Lim ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This is a conceptual article that uses paradox theory to explain how social media can both help and harm children's well-being. It describes a tension between empowering children and protecting them online. The authors build a theoretical framework around this tension and the cyclical ways people respond to it. They offer research propositions and pathways for managing the tension to support children's well-being in the digital era.
Key points
- Social media affects child well-being in paradoxical ways.
- Understanding of this paradox has so far been piecemeal.
- The framework centres on conflicting demands between empowerment and protection.
- Responses to these paradoxical tensions are described as cyclical.
- The article offers propositions for future research and mediating pathways for managing the tensions.
Limitations
The article is conceptual and, based on the abstract, presents no new empirical data, so it cannot show how large the effects are or whether the proposed pathways work. The abstract does not say which country contexts the framework is based on; the country codes come from the metadata hint.
Abstract
Social media has impacted child well-being in paradoxical ways. Yet, our understanding of this paradox remains piecemeal. To address this gap, this conceptual article endeavors to delineate the interplay between child well-being and contradictions associated with social media consumption and the ways to manage these contradictions. Using paradox theory, we develop a theoretical framework that explains the relationships and dynamics surrounding conflicting demands between empowerment and protection and the cyclical responses to paradoxical tensions involving social media that are affecting child well-being. Using this framework, we offer a collection of propositions to stimulate further research on the empowerment–protection paradox and a set of mediating pathways to manage paradoxical tensions arising from social media consumption and promote children’s well-being in the digital era.