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Parents have various options and channels to improve their skills and knowledge of children’s health, especially oral healthcare, in the age of media technology. Social media, often known as the “participative Internet,” is a very popular platform or medium for seeking varied information, with more than 90% of users globally (Statista, 2020). In addition, numerous types of health information, such as health-related infographics, can be actively distributed and shared via the Internet. Although social media’s early use was primarily for marketing purposes, the new medium has grown to give health practitioners or organizations a platform to communicate with their target groups. People of all ages and demographics use computers and mobile devices to adopt these technologies.
Social networking sites based on the Internet, wikis for collaborative content development, blogs, and two-way mobile messaging platforms that connect people via cell phones and personal digital assistants are examples of Web 2.0 social media technologies that increase interactivity and collaborative content sharing. Smartphones and associated mobile applications have been used to transmit health information, mainly information about children’s dental health, owing to mobile devices’ widespread availability and usefulness. Evidence suggests that persons who use self-management health apps have better outcomes (Castensoe et al., 2018), implying that integrating this technology in health promotion methods such as children’s dental healthcare is feasible.
Oral health is important because it affects every aspect of life, but it is often overlooked, especially in childhood. According to the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017, oral disorders affect approximately 3.5 billion people worldwide, with caries of permanent teeth being the most common condition. Permanent tooth decay is estimated to affect 2.3 billion people worldwide, while primary tooth decay affects approximately 530 million children (GBD, 2017). Oral diseases are on the rise in most low- and middle-income countries as a result of urbanization and changing living conditions.
Health Education and the Use of WhatsApp
WhatsApp (WhatsApp Inc), a social media platform, stands out among the apps as one with the potential to be used in health education interventions (Giordano et al., 2017). Social media platforms are frequently used for a variety of objectives. This media may help to preserve social capital and provide access to resources. Because of their widespread use, social media can be a valuable source of information and social support during times of crisis. For example, government agencies use social media to gather and disseminate information to effectively handle disasters. Social media also provides a useful platform for citizens to post or receive information, seek social support, and express concerns about terrible events (Zade et al., 2018; Cumiskey, 2019). Users perceive social media as a source of social support and a cause of stress (Drouin et al., 2018). With the rise of digital technology, many institutions and organizations are turning to social media to elicit parental participation or engagement in their children’s affairs. WhatsApp and WeChat, for example, have been used in numerous countries to improve home-school communication. According to Mayangsari and Aprianti (2017), WhatsApp has been used to supplement traditional media for teacher-parent communication. However, Dan and Simon (2021) found that the primary use of WhatsApp is to provide information or school experiences to parents.
The Internet and social media are becoming increasingly important as alternatives to traditional sources of guidance and support for parents. They are increasingly seeking health information for their children on the Internet (Bryan et al., 2020).