Distance-family Communication And Boundary Interation In The Digital Age

With the rise of network society,family pattern is developing from traditional family interaction pattern towards 'digital family' pattern.The rapid evolution of communication technology in the recent past allows today's generation of college students to connect to their parents instantly and frequently through a variety of electronic means including cellular phone calls,text messages,emails,video chats,and social media.How do they conduct intimate family cohesion?How technologies are affecting traditional family pattern has earned a place of prominence in the research field.Different with finding out how digital media use in the distance family,this study tries to explore the behavior of digital media communication in distance family,and analyze the influences of using digital media on maintaining family cohesion for family members and the role it plays in parent-child's separation.Using the grounded theory,this study has conducted in-depth interviews with emerging adults who live in the distance family;forms a theoretical model of distance family communication and privacy management by means of multi-perspective investigations,analyses its causes and expressions and further reveals its impact on distance family by a qualitative research.This study has the following findings.First,distance family' pattern is quite normal for emerging adults.Second,it is necessary for distance families to keep in touch to maintain family boundary.Third,together with cellular phone calls,digital media such as Wechat and QQ has becoming main method in distance family communication.Forth,digital media enhance emerging adults' privacy management.Firth,family digital communication not only maintains distance family boundary,but also helps children separating from parents.This study forms a theoretical model of distance family communication and privacy management by means of multi-perspective investigations,analyses its causes and expressions and further reveals its impact on distance family by a qualitative research.