Intergenerational solidarity with digital communication and psychological well-being among older parents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Woosang Hwang, Xiaoyu Fu, Maria T. Brown, Merril Silverstein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Scopus citations

Abstract

We aimed to identify intergenerational solidarity (emotional closeness, in-person contact, phone contact, geographic proximity, consensus, and conflict) with digital communication (texting, video call, and social media interaction) with adult children among older parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, we aimed to investigate whether intergenerational solidarity with digital communication latent classes were associated with older parents' psychological well-being. We used the 2022 survey of the Longitudinal Study of Generations (LSOG). The sample consisted of 519 older parents who reported about 1245 adult children. Two-level latent class analysis identified six classes at the child level (Level 1: distant but digitally connected, tight-knit and digitally connected, tight-knit traditional, detached, intimate but distant, and sociable). In addition, the analysis identified three classes at the parent level (Level 2: digitally connected, mixed, and intimate but distant). Results of multivariate regression showed that older parents in the digitally connected latent class had better psychological well-being than those in the mixed latent class. Consequently, our finding indicates that digital solidarity with adult children can be beneficial for older parents' psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Original languageEnglish (US)
JournalFamily Process
DOIs
StateAccepted/In press - Jun 2023

Keywords

  • COVID-19 pandemic
  • digital solidarity
  • intergenerational solidarity
  • older parents
  • psychological well-being

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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