The effect of social media use on family relations: Mixed methods research

The family institution is defined in many different ways and has been considered as the smallest building block of the social structure from past to present. The reason why the family has been valued and sanctified in almost all societies from past to present is because it has an important place in social life. The changes in social life, modernization, globalization and developments in technology have deeply affected both society and the family institution. For this reason, it is important to examine the changes that the family has undergone and to investigate the factors that caused the change. The main purpose of the research is to examine the change of the family institution in the process of technological developments. In the research, data was collected from 1500 people between the ages of 18-65 throughout Turkey using the survey technique, which is one of the quantitative methods. In addition, interviews were conducted with 15 people using the semi-structured interview method. According to the findings obtained as a result of the research, social media use negatively affects family relationships, family communication, family values and family loyalty. It has been revealed that as social media use increases, family relations deteriorate, the importance given to family values decreases, communication within the family decreases, there is a decrease in the level of family commitment and a decrease in family privacy. Key Words: Social Media, Family, Social Media Studies, Family Studies, Social Media and Family