College Students’ Communication with Parents:

How Technology Impacts the Family

Ronald A. Fannin, Ph.D.

Mary Bold, Ph.D., CFLE

Texas Woman’s University

Matt Dodd, Ph.D., M.MFT

Abilene Christian University

Current Statistics on Use of Technology: Prepared by Layli Pham, M.S.

Separation

and Connection

Identity

AchievementMoratorium

Foreclosure Diffusion

Current Statistics on Use of Technology

• 93% of youth use the Internet

and 94% of their parents do, too

• 87% of parents of 12-17 year olds use the internet

• Teens are more likely to call tech devices

“helpful” than are their parents

• Parents are more likely to regulate content of

Internet sites than the amount of

time on the Internet

• 96% of 9-17 year old students with Internet access

chat, text, blog, and communicate online

• 96% of school districts assign Internet homework

• 77% of children 8-14 shop on the Internet

• 14% have helped parents with income tax returns

• 20% of 8-14 year olds have e-mail accounts

their parents do not know about

Top 10 Teen Gadgets:

Computer Cell Phone iPod/MP3

Digital Camera Game System Flash Drive

Television TiVo DVD

Microwave

Research Conceptualization

Family Life Cycle Stage / Life Course (Leaving Home for College)

TMC

Research Variables

Developmental Identity Status (OMEIS):

1. Identity Achievement2. Moratorium3. Foreclosure4. Diffusion

Demographic Identity:

1. Gender 2. Age3. Ethnicity4. Employment Status

Independent Variables Dependent Variables

Technology Mediated Communication (TMC) Behaviors:

1. Frequencya. Mail b. Telephonec. Cell Phoned. Emaile. Instant Messaging (IM) f. A/V Chat

2. Contenta. Friendships/Family

b. Romantic Relationships c. Academic Decisions /

Experiences d. Material and Financial

Resources e. Values, Beliefs, and

Moral Decisions

3. Emotional Closeness: a. Motherb. Father

Hypotheses

1 & 2

Hypotheses

3 & 4

Methodology

Electronic Survey:• Link to survey emailed to 1000

undergraduate college students.

• 250 randomly selected students

from each classification.

Participants

194 Usable Responses:• Single Young Adults

• 18 – 22 years old

• Living away from home

• Enrolled in College/University

Identity Status Results

• Diffused individuals use the cell phone more

often than foreclosed or identity achieved.

• Foreclosed individuals felt less emotionally

close to their fathers than diffused or

moratorium.

• Foreclosed individuals use the cell phone to

talk about academic decisions/experiences less

than all other identity statuses.

Demographic Results

• Seniors email parents about finances more than

freshmen or sophomores.

• Juniors use audio/video chat to talk about

finances and romantic relationships more than

freshmen or sophomores.

• Students working full time feel less

emotionally close to their mothers than part

time or unemployed students.

Demographic Results

• Students working part time use the cell phone

to talk to parents about finances more than

unemployed students.

• Hispanics/Latinos(as) use email less than

Caucasians and the “Other” ethnic category.

• Asian-Americans use audio/video chat more

than any other ethnic group in the study.

• Asian-Americans use instant messaging to talk

about romantic relationships more than others.

Discussion

• TMC allows college students to have

autonomy from, while staying connected to

family.

• TMC allows college students to control the

level of interaction with parents.

• Identity Status and Media Richness Theory

explain TMC use.

• Finances and romantic relationships are

important topics.