Social Media and Family Dynamics across the Life Course

A Multi-Generational Perspective
Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-3-032-30996-9
Verlag: Springer

Buch, Englisch, 217 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 235 mm

This edited volume explores the interplay between social media and family life across life stages, with contributions from scholars in sociology, psychology, communications, and other fields. Unlike many existing studies on social media that focus primarily on parenting of adolescents, it takes a broader approach by analyzing social media and family dynamics from early childhood through old age, also considering intergenerational relationships broadly. From the phenomenon of “sharenting” and the effects of social media on young children to the role of social media in grandparenting and in coping with death of family members, this volume engages with critical issues like “digital heartbreak,” surveillance within families, and the evolving nature of kin connections. It includes diverse methodological approaches such as qualitative ethnographies, survey-based research, and theoretical analysis. It also includes international perspectives, thus expanding the discourse beyond U.S. and U.K. contexts.

The volume is divided into four parts and offers both empirical and theoretical perspectives on how social media shapes family roles, relationships, and experiences at different life stages. Written in an engaging and accessible style, it is highly relevant for scholars and students in family sociology, life course sociology, and social media studies. 

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Lowry, Deborah S.

Tanaka, Kimiko

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziologie Allgemein
• Sozialwissenschaften Pädagogik Lehrerausbildung, Unterricht & Didaktik E-Learning, Bildungstechnologie
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Familiensoziologie
• Sozialwissenschaften Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaften Medienwissenschaften
• Sozialwissenschaften Medien- und Kommunikationswissenschaften Kommunikationswissenschaften Digitale Medien, Internet, Telekommunikation

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction: Technological Change, Family, and the Life Course.- Section I: Social Media and Contemporary Parenting.- Motivations and Consequences of Parents’ Posting About Children on Social Media.- From Control to Conversation: Parent-Child Communication Dynamics and Perspectives Surrounding Social Technology Use.- Ethnic Racial Socialization in the Digital Age.- Section II: Social Media and Family Life with Adolescents and Youth.- New Technology, Old Concerns: Using Theory to Examine Adolescent Social Media Use and Family Functioning.- Digital Communication, Family Conflict and Parent Adolescent Relationships in the Social Media Era: Insights from South Africa.- Vicarious Comparisons in the Digital Age: Social Media and Parental Expectations for Adolescent and Young Adult Children.- Section III: Social Media, Family Formation, and Relationship Dissolution.- Social Media’s Impact on the Adoption Triad.- Digital Lives of Emerging Adults and Their Families.- Digital Heartbreak: A Qualitative Exploration of Navigating Relational Dissolution on Social Media.- Section IV: The Future of Intergenerational Relationships in a Social Media Era: Connection, Responsibility, and Legacy.- Grandparents’ Digital Practices Across Distance: Intergenerational Dynamics and Social Media Use in Co Construction.- Online Crimes Against Children and Perceptions of Parental Responsibility: Applying the Life Course Principles.- Is Online Forever? Death, Family Dynamics, and Social Media.

Über Autor(innen)

Deborah Lowry is Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology at the University of Montevallo, where she teaches a range of undergraduate courses. Her work has focused on life course sociology, with a particular interest in applying sociological perspectives to real-world societal challenges and everyday life. She is the author of (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022) and has written on demographic change, intergenerational relationships, and social problems. She earned an M.A. in Sociology from Western Michigan University, a Ph.D. from Michigan State University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan Population Studies Center.

Kimiko Tanaka is Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at James Madison University. She has received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from Michigan State University. She has published articles on Japan to discuss aging, families, culture, rural depopulation, and gender. Her recent publication, n, highlights the importance of the quality of the community in achieving healthy aging in rural Japan, and provides the important insight that words such as “rural” and “depopulation” do not simply equate with negative outcomes for the elderly in rural Japan. She is currently working on a book on Japanese regional festivals based on archival data, observations, and interviews. It tackles two major questions: Why and how do some Japanese regional festivals thrive and continue to create social solidarity and place-based identities in rapidly changing landscapes?