Title
Social Network Site Relational Reconnection Among Older Adults
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2021
Abstract
The present study employed a national sample of Americans aged 65+ years to explore social network site (SNS) relational reconnection among older adults. Nearly 60% of the sample had reconnected with a former partner during the previous year; primarily involving dormant friendships and familial relationships, but also encompassing former coworkers and ex-romantic partners. Whether a relationship persisted beyond the initial act of reconnection was related to its level of development prior to losing touch, and the extent to which partners engaged in modality expansion by embracing multiple channels of communication after reconnecting. Older adults with more developed pre-loss-of-contact relationships were also more likely to engage in modality expansion after reconnecting.
DOI
10.1080/10510974.2021.1975143
Publisher
Routledge
Repository Citation
Sumner, E. M., Ramirez, A., Jr., & Fletcher, J. (2021). Social network site relational reconnection among older adults. Communication Studies, 72(5), 850-865. http://doi.org/10.1080/10510974.2021.1975143
Publication Information
Communication Studies