The negative impact of Snapchat on family communication in the UAE

Social media plays a critical role in society today. Understanding the psychosocial mechanism through which social media influences communication, human thought, and actions are of great significance. Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are the most commonly used social media platforms globally. Currently, Snapchat is one of the commonly used platforms in the UAE, with close to 3 million users in the country (Hung, 2017). Snapchat enables users to share videos, images, or stories with friends and other social media people. The platform has enabled people across UAE and the world, in general, to interact effectively. Snapchat has also led to improved communications between people of different origins (Alqahtani, 2018). While social media is largely seen as a positive communication medium, it appears to have caused relationship problems mainly because of communication. For instance, Snapchat use makes people inattentive to family communications, thus leading to strained relationships. Moreover, the platform leads to miscommunication among family members whereby some members could feel ignored due to its influence. This research paper analyzed the impact of Snapchat on Family Communications in the UAE, showing that Snapchat use was associated with poor communication and straining of family relationships.

Literature Review 

Social media websites and applications enable users to share content and participate in social networking. Snapchat is an example of a social media application that allows users to send pictures and share messages only for a very short period. Snapchat has created a virtual community where people can share their daily activities with their friends and families, share interests in a particular topic, or increase their online influence. There are other social media sites like Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter. The main function of social media platforms is to improve online communications among users.

Communication is an important aspect of any relationship as it determines the health and strength of any relationship. Social media use affects family relationships by limiting the number of face-to-face communications. According to Kozlenkova et al. (2017), online communications are less valuable compared to offline relationships. While social media can enhance communication and allow people to contact friends and family over long distances, it limits face-to-face communications. Social media has been associated with an increase in the level of disconnectedness among its users (Cizmeci, 2017). Social media use has been specifically associated with the strength of immediate relationships among one’s friends and family.

The impact of social media on family communications and relationships has also been studied widely. According to Coyne et al. (2017), the internet and social media have decreased the number of family interactions. Parents that use social media can spend more time on their mobile devices than with their children and partners. Subramanian (2017) observed that people could communicate with their family and friends by using technology. However, the style and type of communication are generally weaker. Other studies revealed that children who spend more time on their mobile devices and technology have increased difficulty developing close relationships and understanding other people’s emotions (Valkenburg, 2017). Social media was found to positively impact family relationships by improving interactions and negatively impacting the style and type of communication.

Research Questions 

The research questions used to analyze family communications in the UAE were identified as follows.

Does Snapchat have a positive or negative impact on family relationships and communications in the UAE?

What is the relationship between Snapchat use and derailed family relationships?

How can the current Snapchat problem be solved to ensure good peace communication in families?

Theoretical Framework 

The theoretical framework for the study can be based on the social exchange theory of communication. The theory observes that social behavior is based on an exchange process whose purpose is to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs (Chernyak-Hai & Rabenu, 2018). People can weigh the potential benefits and risks of social relationships. When engaging in any type of communication, people can analyze the advantages and disadvantages of various communication channels in improving their relationships. The use of social media can also be analyzed to determine its benefits and risks in communication. The strong and weak ties theory also suggests that people can have different relationships based on emotional intensity, time, and intimacy (Valenzuela et al., 2018). Social media has impacted the intensity of relationships and should be analyzed by considering whether it creates strong or weak ties in family relationships.

Methodology 

The sample chosen for the research were 20 youths and 10 adults in the UAE. A random sampling technique was used to select the participants. The age of the participants varied between 16 and 35 years. A qualitative methodology was used to collect the data by incorporating face-to-face interviews. The participants were interviewed and then given questionnaires to fill out their views and opinions regarding the topic under study. The responses from the interviews were then recorded for analysis. After the analysis, conclusions were drawn to show how Snapchat impacted family communications.

Description and Analytical Techniques 

The interviews were analyzed to understand the impact that the use of Snapchat has on family communications. The analytical technique used to investigate the findings was grouping and analyzing the information to identify common themes. Thematic analysis is a method of analyzing data where the findings are identified, organized, and analyzed to establish themes and patterns (Connelly & Peltzer, 2016). A theme can be described as critical information about the data concerning the research question. The data analysis thus involved sorting out the data to organize meaningful relationships that would be structured to the main themes. The next step involved establishing links and relationships in the extracted data to establish the main themes. After establishing the main themes in the data, a review was conducted on the themes to establish whether coherent, meaningful, and consistent patterns in the data. The themes were then organized and reported to present the data in an illustrative and compelling way.

Data Interpretation and Analysis 

Negative Impact on Communication 

The first theme established involved answering the research question on whether Snapchat positively or negatively impacts family communications. The general theme established was that Snapchat harmed communication. The common view among the adults was that most of the family communication problems were related to increased use of the internet and social media platforms like Snapchat. One of the adults complained that they were no longer in constant or frequent communication with their children through the following response.

“ My daughter spends all the time on the internet. She is active on various social media platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook, and we hardly spend time in face-to-face interactions. She is constantly on her phone.” 

The statement was used to establish a common theme among most adults showing that Snapchat, along with other social media platforms, harmed family communications.

The young adults' responses also revealed that they felt that they had communication problems as a result of using Snapchat.

“ I sometimes fail to listen to my mom because I could be on Snapchat and would not be concentrating on anyone around me.” 

The strain on Family Relationships 

The second theme of the data was the evidence that the use of Snapchat led to a strain in family relationships. The strain in family relationships is evidenced by the theme of family conflicts regarding social media. The adults gave the following response regarding the use of Snapchat.

“ We have always argued about my daughters using their phones. I feel angry when it is family time, and everyone is on their phone. I had to make a rule that nobody will talk to me with their phone.” 

The respondents of the young adults indicated that their parents complained about the use of Snapchat regarding their internet usage. Some of the comments from the interviewees were as follows:

“ We sit together, and everyone uses the laptops and phone to get into social media, and the parents start complaining after getting bored.” 

“ I have tried to explain to my mum how to use various social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram, but she keeps saying that these electronic devices are breaking the family.” 

The common theme established in the comments from the adults when interacting with their families was that the use of Snapchat led to a strain in their relationships.

How the Snapchat Problem can be solved 

The analysis of the responses also revealed a common theme regarding how to solve Snapchat straining family communication and family relationships. The most common theme to solving the use of Snapchat involved placing the phones away when everyone is together as a family. The following responses revealed the responses.

“ I prohibit my children from using their phones when we are eating together as a family.” 

“ My daughters know that I dislike seeing them on their phones all the time and they take rarely use their devices in family gatherings or when they talk to me.” 

The other responses observed were that there is a need to be responsible while using social media and Snapchat. The following responses emphasized the need for such responsibility.

“ I cannot completely do away with Snapchat. Instead, I feel that I should limit the amount of time I spend on my phone, especially when I am around my friends or family.” 

“ I need to show more responsibility with the way I use social media and Snapchat. I try to spend less time on my phone when I am home.” 

Implications of Findings 

The research reviewed the evidence from the evidence that was conducted. The responses showed that most adults completely disapproved of using Snapchat while the young adults acknowledged the negative impacts of social media but did not show complete disapproval. The findings showed that Snapchat and other social media platforms have a negative impact on family communications and strain family relationships. The findings imply that family relationships in the UAE will only improve when the family members decide to stay away from their mobile devices. The recommendation for parents is that they should advise their children to stay away from their mobile devices during family meetings. Children should also show responsibility when using Snapchat and other social media applications. If the given issues are not addressed, there is likely to be an increase in family relationships strain.

Future Research 

One of the limitations of the study was that it was based on a small sample size. The recommendation for future research is to improve the sample size and use quantitative analysis to examine the impact of Snapchat on family communication and family relationships. Future research can focus on whether using the given strategies can improve family communication and family relationships in the UAE families. The first proposed solution involved having a family rule where everyone keeps out of Snapchat, social media, and their mobile devices. The other solution involved family members showing responsibility when using Snapchat. Future research can focus on analyzing the two solutions to identify the viable one.

References 

Alqahtani, H. (2018).  The Role of Snapchat in the Dynamics of E-commerce and Communication in Saudi Arabia . Arkansas State University. https://search.proquest.com/openview/f232c68ba78cf8cf8093d9f2bfd7c985/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y 

Cizmeci, E. (2017). Disconnected, though satisfied: Phubbing behavior and relationship satisfaction.  The Turkish Online Journal of Design, Art and Communication ,  7 (2), 364-375. http://www.tojdac.org/tojdac/VOLUME7-ISSUE2_files/tojdac_v07i2118.pdf 

Connelly, L. M., & Peltzer, J. N. (2016). Underdeveloped themes in qualitative research: Relationship with interviews and analysis.  Clinical nurse specialist ,  30 (1), 52-57. https://journals.lww.com/cns-journal/Abstract/2016/01000/Underdeveloped_Themes_in_Qualitative_Research_.11.aspx 

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Chernyak-Hai, L., & Rabenu, E. (2018). The new era workplace relationships: Is social exchange theory still relevant?.  Industrial and Organizational Psychology ,  11 (3), 456-481. https://doi.org/10.1017/iop.2018.5 

Hung, D. (2017). The dangers of Snapchat on mental health. Informa. https://informaconnect.com/the-dangers-of-snapchat-on-mental-health/ 

Kozlenkova, I. V., Palmatier, R. W., Fang, E., Xiao, B., & Huang, M. (2017). Online relationship formation.  Journal of Marketing ,  81 (3), 21-40. https://doi.org/10.1509%2Fjm.15.0430 

Subramanian, K. R. (2017). Influence of social media in interpersonal communication.  International Journal of Scientific Progress and Research ,  38 (2), 70-75. https://www.ijspr.com/citations/v38n2/IJSPR_3802_2069.pdf 

Valenzuela, S., Correa, T., & Gil de Zuniga, H. (2018). Ties, likes, and tweets: Using strong and weak ties to explain differences in protest participation across Facebook and Twitter use.  Political communication ,  35 (1), 117-134. https://doi.org/10.1080/10584609.2017.1334726 

Valkenburg, P. M. (2017). Understanding self-effects in social media.  Human Communication Research ,  43 (4), 477-490. https://doi.org/10.1111/hcre.12113