Keeping in touch by technology: maintaining friendships after a residential move
(https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/1357054.1357182, 2008)
This paper describes a study conducted on the effects that a geographical move has on friendships and the ways in which those friendships exist online. The study was conducted over nearly two years in 2004 and 2005, consisting of multiple survey studies of the same participants to understand the dynamics across time. The paper hypothesizes that 1) frequency of communication before the move predicts that of afterward, 2) moving away decreases the frequency of involvement but not the intimacy, 3) changes in frequency of in-person interaction will be associated in changes in enacted support but not that of intimacy, and 4) changes of phone calls and emails will increase a sense of intimacy. Their study supported all four of their hypotheses, with the caveat that the fourth one was only partially supported – the effect was felt for phone calls, but not for emails, which contributed more to maintenance of friendships. This paper is an excellent example of a study designed specifically to target friendships, but a replication of this should be examined now that it has been nearly two decades. The increasing popularity of video calls and the effects that a pandemic has had on long distance social psychology could change some of the results this paper found on people’s feelings and attitudes towards digital connection.
Digital Intimacy: How Technology Shapes Friendships and Romantic Relationships
(https://journals.kmanpub.com/index.php/aitechbesosci/article/view/1972, 2023)
This paper describes a qualitative study done on 18 – 35 year olds as well as digital intimacy professionals on the effect that technology has had on friendships and relationships. Through a series of interviews with participants and a subsequent thematic analysis, the authors uncovered some of the benefits, drawbacks, concerns, and evolutions of online relationships. They describe the ease of maintaining relationships by sharing mundane parts of lives online, the role that the online world plays in community for LGBTQ+ individuals, and the increased access that technology offers us. The authors also highlighted themes of struggle: a need to find balance between online and offline lives and personas, the issue of timeliness and miscommunication online, and the privacy concerns. The paper focuses on privacy concerns towards the end, mentioning that adaptive behaviors to protect against privacy breaches are continuing to evolve and should continue to be studied in the future. This paper provides valuable insight into the existing relationships that exist online, which can aid in the design choices for social platforms aiming to foster connection.
Moving Away and Keeping in Touch Through Multiple Communication Channels
(https://www.cs.toronto.edu/~ricecrispi/docs/multipleccuse.pdf, 2017)
This study examines how college graduates maintain communication with their social ties after relocating. The authors explore the challenges of managing multiple communication channels, such as social media, instant messaging, email, and phone calls, and how these platforms impact relationships. Through a mixed-methods approach, including surveys and interviews, the research highlights the difficulties of staying connected while juggling new environments and responsibilities. Findings suggest that while digital tools facilitate communication, they also create cognitive overload and inconsistency in social interactions, often leading to weakened ties. The study offers insights into potential design improvements for communication technologies to better support long-distance relationships.
The Transition to Adulthood
This study explores the complex process of transitioning from adolescence to adulthood, focusing on social, economic, and institutional influences. The authors highlight key life events such as completing education, entering the workforce, marriage, and parenthood, analyzing how these transitions vary by race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Using a population-level perspective, the research examines how societal structures shape individual pathways, emphasizing that adulthood is not a single event but a multifaceted process influenced by cultural norms and historical contexts. The study calls for more comprehensive approaches to studying life transitions, integrating both individual choices and structural constraints.
From Dorms to Cubicles: How Recent Graduates Communicate
(https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7070053, 2015)
This study examines how communication practices change as college students transition into the workforce. Through a two-part field study with 29 college students and 20 recent graduates, the authors explore shifts in communication tool preferences, the effects of structured work schedules, and the impact of professional identity on social interactions. The findings highlight that recent graduates rely more on email and instant messaging due to workplace constraints, experience shrinking social circles, and become more selective in their online presence. The study also notes that while digital tools help maintain friendships, communication becomes more intentional and less spontaneous post-graduation.
Connecting with close friends online: A qualitative analysis of young adults’ perceptions of online and offline social interactions with friends
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451958822000513, 2022)
This study explores young adults’ perceptions of how their interactions with close friends differ across online and offline settings. Through a qualitative analysis of 672 survey responses from Australian university students, the authors identify two main themes: the Features and Affordances of Online Contexts (including control, non-verbal cues, and accessibility) and the Nature of Interactions across settings (including depth, intimacy, and perceived value). The findings suggest that while online communication is convenient for maintaining friendships, in-person interactions are often perceived as more meaningful, engaging, and emotionally fulfilling. However, online communication provides a safe and controlled space for some individuals, particularly those with social anxiety, to express themselves more comfortably.
Distant Friends, Mobility and Sensed Intimacy
This study examines how friendships are maintained across geographical distance and the emotional bonds that shape perceptions of space and mobility. Through qualitative interviews, the author argues that friendships at a distance create unique “spatial sensibilities” influenced by shared history, emotional connection, and infrequent but meaningful in-person meetings. While digital communication helps sustain ties, respondents emphasized that strong friendships persist through a “sensed intimacy” rather than frequent contact. The study highlights how mobility patterns, class, and gender shape friendships, with some individuals choosing to relocate or remain in an area based on their social connections.
From Best Friends to Silent Ends: Exploring the Concepts of Ghosting in Non-Romantic Relationships
(https://ijmaberjournal.org/index.php/ijmaber/article/view/179/115, 2021)
This study explores ghosting, typically studied in romantic contexts, between friends. Interviews with 30 participants aged 18-25 revealed that ghosting can happen gradually (offering delayed and dry responses until eventually not responding at all) or abruptly (blocking/ignoring all at once), often depending on how deep the relationship was. While initiators often felt some regret, many also felt that their decisions were justified, especially those who labeled the relationships as “toxic.” Ghosting is more socially acceptable between friends than romantic partners, likely due to the reduced expectations of friendship compared to a relationship.
Forming and Maintaining Intimate Friendships as a Twentysomething
(https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1614&context=etd, 2023)
This paper discusses three phases of friendships in one’s 20s: forming, deepening, and maintaining. The author focuses on new friends primarily found through work which develop through daily low-stakes interactions and eventually make the leap to spending time with each other outside of work. The challenge of staying in touch comes about when one of the two friends changes jobs, where participants in the study described “sitting on instagram” seeing their friends lives rather than connecting with them. The author found that social media and texting serve as maintenance tools, but would not substitute for fostering deeper connection. She highlights the need for texting and calling, the renegotiating of relationships when circumstances change, and the need to make effort to create shared spaces and experiences.
