Where do you get your parenting advice?

Where do you turn for parenting advice? While many people may talk with friends, family and their own parents, a recent poll suggests parents are also using social media.

A C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health asked parents of children 0-4 years old how they utilize social media for parenting. Eighty percent of participating parents use social media to discuss parenting topics. Some of the parenting topics included potty training, nutrition, sleep, discipline and daycare/preschool.

A quarter of parents said they use social media for parenting advice because they want to do things differently than their parents. They also reported social media helps to give them new ideas, makes them feel less alone, offers guidance for purchasing products and when to call the pediatrician.

“Social media can serve as a worldwide ‘community’ for parents to share ideas on a wide variety of topics,” says Dr. Andrew Velic, a pediatrician at Aurora Health Care. “At the same time, we do want to always ensure we are safely sharing about our children on social media.”

Nearly 60 percent of parents surveyed utilize privacy settings to restrict who can see content about their child, and 30 percent do not post photos or videos of their child at all. And 77 percent of parents believe others overshare on social media by bragging about their child.

Dr. Velic says that while social media can be a good way to quickly get feedback from other parents, medical questions should always be directed to your child’s pediatrician.

“I recommend using trained professionals and evidence-based resources when you have questions regarding parenting and your child’s development. Social media can be a wonderful tool for sharing what has worked for parents. However, there is a great deal of misinformation on the internet. Take what you learn from social media and think critically about how the advice given can influence your child’s growth and development, and then discuss with their pediatrician.”

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