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Social media, rituals, and long-distance family relationship maintenance: A mixed-methods systematic review

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New Media & Society
Authors:
Susan Maree Abel at University of Southern Queensland
Susan Maree Abel
Tanya Machin at University of Southern Queensland
Tanya Machin
Charlotte Brownlow at University of Southern Queensland
Charlotte Brownlow
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For families with limited opportunities for face-to-face interaction, social media can be a vital communication medium to help shape the family identity, maintain bonds, and accomplish shared tasks. This mixed-methods systematic review of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method empirical studies published between 1997 and 2019 uses a convergent data-based framework to explore how long-distance families engage in family practices using various modes of social media. Fifty-one papers were synthesized into four domains: (1) doing family in a social media environment, (2) performing family through stories and rituals, (3) the nature of online communication practices, and (4) privacy, conflict, and the quality of family relationships. Given the value of patterned routines to families, research into the role of family kinkeepers is suggested. Finally, families use chat (messages) extensively for both assuring behaviour and conflict resolution so further investigation of the impact of this asynchronous mode is recommended.
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https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444820958717
new media & society
2021, Vol. 23(3) 632 –654
© The Author(s) 2020
Article reuse guidelines:
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DOI: 10.1177/1461444820958717
journals.sagepub.com/home/nms
Social media, rituals, and
long-distance family
relationship maintenance:
A mixed-methods
systematic review
Susan Abel , Tanya Machin
and Charlotte Brownlow
University of Southern Queensland, Australia
Abstract
For families with limited opportunities for face-to-face interaction, social media
can be a vital communication medium to help shape the family identity, maintain
bonds, and accomplish shared tasks. This mixed-methods systematic review of
quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method empirical studies published between
1997 and 2019 uses a convergent data-based framework to explore how long-
distance families engage in family practices using various modes of social media.
Fifty-one papers were synthesized into four domains: (1) doing family in a social
media environment, (2) performing family through stories and rituals, (3) the nature
of online communication practices, and (4) privacy, conflict, and the quality of family
relationships. Given the value of patterned routines to families, research into the
role of family kinkeepers is suggested. Finally, families use chat (messages) extensively
for both assuring behaviour and conflict resolution so further investigation of the
impact of this asynchronous mode is recommended.
Keywords
Ambient co-presence, family practices, family rituals, mediated absence, mixed-
methods meta-synthesis, social media
Corresponding author:
Susan Abel, School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, University of
Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia.
Email: susan.abel@usq.edu.au
958717NMS0010.1177/1461444820958717new media & societyAbel et al.
research-article2020
Review Article (Invited Authors Only)
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