Parent-adolescent cell phone conversations reveal a lot about the relationship

Robert Weisskirch, MSW, PhD, California State University, Monterey Bay (Seaside, CA) notes that parents can use a cell phone to extend their parenting reach: to monitor an adolescent's whereabouts and activities, track their schoolwork, offer support, voice disapproval or criticism, or discipline their teen, for example. Similarly, adolescents may use their cell phones to communicate positive or negative feelings or information with their parents.

In the current study, "No Crossed Wires: Cell Phone Communication in Parent-Adolescent Relationships," Weisskirch proposed seven specific hypotheses about how the frequency, nature, and content of parent-adolescent cell phone calls relate to the quality of the parent-child relationship in terms of self-esteem, perceptions of family conflict, and family dynamics, including closeness and support.

More information: The article is available free online at http://www.liebertpub.com/cyber

Provided by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.