Volume 10, Issue 8 (August 2023), Pages: 197-208

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 Original Research Paper

Addressing family mutism: Expert perspectives and intervention strategies in the context of excessive social media use in Saudi Arabian families

 Author(s): 

 Maher Trimeche ^{1, 2,} *, Mongi Zidi ¹, Turki Al-Shalaki ¹, Alnair Mohammed Ali Alnair ¹, Elyas Saeed SaadAshwal ¹, Mohamed Mohamed Hassan Ibrahim ^{1, 3}, Ashraf Abd El-Hakim Mohamed Megahed ⁴, Ibrahim El Husseiny Abdelmoneim Helal ⁵

 Affiliation(s):

 ¹Department of Social Sciences, College of Literature and Arts, University of Ha'il, Ha'il, Saudi Arabia
 ²Department of Anthropology, University of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia
 ³Department of Social Work Methods, College of Social Work, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
 ⁴Department of Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
 ⁵Department of Group Work, Higher Institute of Social Work, Benha, Egypt

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 * Corresponding Author. 

  Corresponding author's ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1271-7998

 Digital Object Identifier: 

 https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2023.08.023

 Abstract:

This study explores the perspectives of social science experts on the emergence of family mutism resulting from the misuse of social networking platforms. It also seeks to identify the most effective social intervention program to restore Saudi Arabian family bonds strained by excessive social media use. This research is theoretically grounded in the cognitive framework of clinical sociology. The researchers adopted a descriptive methodology and conducted directed interviews with 20 experts from different disciplines at Hail University in Saudi Arabia, during the months of October and November 2022. The study reveals that the experts reached a unanimous consensus on the goals of the therapeutic intervention program, emphasizing the enhancement of family members' awareness and the provision of guidance on the prudent use of social media. From a theoretical perspective, all experts agreed that ecological theory served as the most appropriate framework to inform professional practice and guide the social intervention program. In addition, the study found that individual and group interviews with family members, along with individual and group sessions, were the most effective social intervention strategies. Professionals reflected on the complex social and psychological issues associated with family mutism, particularly in children and adolescents who are enmeshed in technological addiction and excessive reliance on social networking platforms. According to these specialists, family structure plays a pivotal role in mitigating family mutism, as they assert their competence in identifying the problem. This study provides invaluable insights into the optimal goals, theoretical paradigms, methodologies, and tools to address family mutism resulting from the inappropriate use of social media.

 © 2023 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords: Family mutism, Social media misuse, Social intervention, Ecological theory

 Article History: Received 16 March 2023, Received in revised form 15 July 2023, Accepted 26 July 2023

 Acknowledgment 

This research has been funded by the Scientific Research Deanship at the University of Ha'il–Saudi Arabia through project number RG-21 143.

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

 Trimeche M, Zidi M, Al-Shalaki T, Alnair AMA, SaadAshwal ES, Ibrahim MMH, Megahed AAEM, Helal IEA (2023). Addressing family mutism: Expert perspectives and intervention strategies in the context of excessive social media use in Saudi Arabian families. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 10(8): 197-208

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