The document explores how first-year college students manage communication with their parents during the transition to college, focusing on the tools they choose and the impact on their relationships. It highlights the importance of convenience, social cues, and technology in shaping communication dynamics, and notes varying impacts on student-parent relationships based on usage. Ultimately, the findings suggest a need for maintaining supportive relationships as students navigate significant life changes.

1. Going to College
& Staying Connected
Communication Between College
Freshmen and Their Parents
Madeline Smith, Mary Nguyen, Charles Lai,
Gilly Leshed, & Eric Baumer
CSCW 2012 – February 14, 2012

2. Common Life Changes
• New job or school
• Residential move
• Relationship change
Image: Change by Rickydavid on flickr

3. Transitions Are Stressful
• Transitions disrupt daily life
• Many are associated with illness onset
[Holmes &Rahe, 1967]
• Such as loneliness & depression
[Paykel et al., 1969]
Image: Depressed by Sander van der Wel on flickr

4. Social Support Can Help
• People use coping measures
[Billings & Moos, 1981]
• Social support can buffer stress
[Cohen & Wills, 1985]
• Moving disrupts support networks
[Shklovski et al., 2008]
Image: hug a mom (5 pts) by miguelavila on flickr

5. Going to College is a Big Change
• Major turning point in students’ lives
[Flanagan et al., 1993] [LaValle et al., 2011]
• Friendships are changing
[Cummings et al., 2006] [Ellison et al, 2007]
• Relationships with parents can help
[Wintre&Yaffe, 2000]
Image: Dorm Life by borman818 on flickr

6. Families Communicate Online
• Families are online and communicating
[Check & Katz, 2009] [Yardi&Bruckman, 2011]
• Students & parents are getting closer
[Sax &Wartman, 2010] [Hofer, 2008]
• Using tech to keep in touch after move
[Gentzler et al., 2011]
Image: Facebook Demo by schramroyal on flickr

7. Research Questions
1. How do first-year college students who are
away from home for the first time choose
among and manage multiple tools for
communicating with their parents?
2. How do these communication tools
contribute to the changes in student-parent
relationships during this period?

8. Method
• Semi-structured interviews
– Communication tools used with parents
– Role of communication in relationship
• Iterative open-coding

9. Participants
• 19 freshmen

10. Use of CMC Tools With Parents
100%
100%
90%
80%
79%
70%
68%
60%
50%
40% 47%
30%
32%
20%
10% 16%
0%
Phone Calls Email Text Video Calls Facebook Instant
Messages Messages

11. Research Questions
1. How do first-year college students who are
away from home for the first time choose
among and manage multiple tools for
communicating with their parents?

12. Convenience
• Most frequently mentioned
• Convenient tools used more often
• Inconvenient tools used less often
Image: Shiara, recursive by genericavatar on flickr

13. Weighing Social Cues
• Enjoyed rich, personal conversations
• Trade-off to reveal more information
• Privacy concerns in dorm rooms
Image: Skype by Joe Shlabotnik on flickr

14. Managing Multiple Media
• Switch depending on conversation
• Social norms around uses
• Level of required involvement
Image: An overload of communications by windsordi on flickr

15. Overcoming the Generation Gap
• Students limited by parents abilities
• Some parents open to trying new tools
• Creative solutions
Image: dad, mom and me - 1969 by freeparking on flickr

16. Face Management
• Tension about information sharing
• Effort to limit what parents see
• Some students willing to share all
Images: studying and candid by English106 on flickr

17. Choosing & Using CMC Tools
• Complex decisions about tool use
• Communicating to stay in touch
• Adds new dimensions to relationships
Image: Technology on Fieldtrips by geographyalltheway.com on flickr

18. Research Questions
2. How do these communication tools
contribute to the changes in student-parent
relationships during this period?

19. Distance Changes Relationships
• Student-parent dynamics changing
• A few students felt nature unchanged
• Some relationships improved
Image: Long Distance by Joe Thorn on flickr

20. “Normal” Relationships
• Amount of communication
• Compared to peers
• Technology changes expectations
Image: Call Your Mom by Divine Madness on flickr

21. Student-Parent Relationships
• Relationships changed in various ways
• More communication with technology
• Increased expectations
Image: Freshman Orientation 2011- Farewells by Lafayette College on flickr

22. Summary
• Tools used by students and parents
• Student’s considerations for tools
• Impact on relationships with parents
Image: DSC01116 by brent.holden on flickr

23. Implications
• Technology use is important during the
transition to college
• Need to maintain relationships for
support while dynamics are changing
Image: College Graduation by brixton on flickr

24. Moving Forward
• More diverse populations
• Focus on relationships over tools
• Explore parents’ perspectives
Image: moving forward by leslie feinberg on flickr

25. Thank you!
Madeline E. Smith
mes369@cornell.edu