The graying of Facebook: Emerging adults and their parents as Facebook friends (FBF)

Abstract

Emerging adults and their parents have a unique relationship, especially during
the transition into emerging adulthood. More specifically, as emerging adults and their
parents navigate the waters of being Face book friends (FBF), they must learn to negotiate
dialectical tensions, along with other prominent issues such as boundary management,
impression management, managing tensions, and ease of communication Facebook
provides. The core of this study centers around Baxter and Montgomery's (1996) theory
on Relational Dialectics. Interviews with both emerging adults and their parents were
conducted and analyzed to provide the results of this study. This study explores the
intersection between social media, specifically Facebook, and family communication.

Date of Award	2011
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	Eastern Illinois University
Supervisor	Richard G. Jones (Supervisor)