Social Media and Close Relationships

Featuring contributed chapters written by experts in the communication discipline, Social Media and Close Relationships provides readers with a dynamic exploration of the interplay between technology, social media, and personal interactions. The book begins with an introduction to the core framework of social media affordances, examining how digital platforms foster connectivity, agency, and visibility, ultimately affecting the fabric of intimate connections.

The text is structured around four sections, each exploring different relationship contexts. The first section focuses on social media identity and community, considering topics like privacy management, identity performance, and online activism. The second section considers romantic relationships, analyzing the implications of digital well-being, the use of dating apps, and phenomena such as sexting and ‘back burner’ relationships. Friendships in the digital age are explored in the third section, covering adolescent friendships, relational maintenance, grief and loss, and networked interactions. The final section shifts the perspective to family dynamics, spotlighting parent-adolescent communication patterns, parental mediation of children's social media use, and the unique social support networks built by mothers online.

Social Media and Close Relationships is the ideal text for courses and programs in communication, media studies, family studies, psychology, and sociology.