Abstract
The experience of residential relocation can affect children and adolescents in various ways. It often affects their close social relationships, and this is especially true when these individuals are no longer in close proximity to their family members and friends. Although face-to-face communication may be limited after relocation, computer-mediated communication can assist in maintaining and developing existing relationships. It may even help individuals initiate new social relationships. In the present study, we investigated the role of communication behavior with friends for perceived friendship quality among children and adolescents who recently experienced residential relocation. Based on a representative survey study of families in Germany, we selected parents having moved with their child (8 to 14 years) to another village or town within the last 24 months. In total, 57 parents who had recently moved – majority of whom were mothers – allowed their child to participate in the phone interview. These participants were, on average, 11 years of age, and 58% of them were male. The children answered questions about their communication behavior and the friendships they had with their three current best friends. Using multilevel analysis, we found that children and adolescents who more often communicated face-to-face with their friends also more intensively used computer-mediated technologies to stay in touch. However, the findings further revealed that computer-mediated communication has the potential to remove limitations in existing friendships in the event of relocation. In the following discussion, implications are examined regarding the role of new communication technologies for families with enhanced mobility requirements.
Highlights
Digital media permeate all areas of our life and influence the basic structures of our interpersonal communication
We looked at child and adolescent communication behavior with friends, especially after experiencing residential relocation (RQ1, see Table 1)
We found more FtF-communication with friends who were met after the relocation (b = 0.60, t(128) = 2.61, 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) [0.15, 1.03]) and lived closer to the respondent (living distance: b = −0.43, t(132) = −3.88; 95% CI [−0.64, −0.22])
Summary
Digital media permeate all areas of our life and influence the basic structures of our interpersonal communication. A large part of our everyday communication whether private or professional – is computer-mediated. Mobile media have developed into multifunctional everyday companions (Döring, 2014) that offer a multitude of communication occasions and possibilities. Constant availability transcends geographic boundaries between persons, and shapes the communication culture of those who are located in the same place (e.g., within families). Regular face-to-face (FtF)-communication is supplemented by a plethora of short calls or messages via various platforms, and this strengthens the everyday co-presence of social relationships (Utz, 2017). Computer-mediated communication (CMC), can especially enable frequent contact with family members or friends who are no longer living in the immediate proximity
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