Digital Communication, Family Identity, and Markers of Emerging Adulthood

Abstract: In the current study, we examined the relationships between key markers of emerging adulthood (unique combinations of work and school in particular), family identity, and frequency of digital communication with mother, father, and closest sibling to address several gaps in the literature. The goal of this study was to examine how work and school status were associated with family identity, and frequency of digital communication with mothers, fathers, and siblings. This study utilized a subsample ( n = 355) of emerging adults who reported on digital communication with three family members (mother, father, and closest sibling) as part of a larger study. Data were collected through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and participants were compensated $0.50 for their time. A series of descriptive analyses, MANCOVAs, and moderated regressions were conducted using SPSS version 25. Analyses revealed that family identity was associated with digital communication with mother and father, and social well-being moderated the relationship between digital communication with mother and family identity; these relationships did not vary by markers of emerging adulthood. Limitations and future directions for research are considered.