Young adults' perceptions of technology use with extended family

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveThe current study explores young adults' perceptions of the use and impact of technology on their relationships with extended family.BackgroundYoung adults are avid technology users and communicate frequently with parents and siblings using a variety of online tools. There is limited research examining young adults' use of technology to communicate with extended family members, despite studies suggesting that these relationships serve a unique and valuable role in their lives.MethodQualitative data were collected from 529 U.S. 18–29‐year‐old young adults (N = 529; M age = 25.91 years, SD = 2.53) utilizing an online survey.ResultsAn inductive content analysis revealed five primary themes: Technology facilitates giving and receiving support, technology enables family bonding, technology allows young adults to mediate distance and closeness, technology environments as places of family discovery, and paradoxes exist in technology use with extended family.ConclusionYoung adults connect with extended family online in beneficial and sometimes contradictory ways; technology serves as a mechanism for modulating levels of involvement with family, enabling young adults to preserve or grow autonomy while also providing opportunities for interaction in their everyday lives.ImplicationsFamily practitioners and educators working with young adults can assist them in tapping into extended family as a resource using a range of communication channels.