Older adults' motives for reconnecting with dormant relational partners using social network sites.

Ross, Levi S.; Sumner, Erin M.; Ramirez, Artemio

The present study examined older adults' motives for reconnecting with partners from their past using social network sites (SNSs). Inductive analysis of open-ended data from 142 Americans aged 50 years revealed four primary motives for SNS reconnection: relational renewal (i.e. reactivating communication and rejuvenating the relationship), relational updating (i.e. finding out what happened to the partner since the relationship fell dormant), relational commemoration (i.e. designating the partner as known or important in the past), and instrumental support-seeking (i.e. tapping into past social capital to achieve current practical goals). These motives for reconnection are discussed along with implications for future research.

ONLINE social networks; OLDER people; SOCIAL capital; DATA analysis

Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, 2024, Vol 25, Issue 1, p69

1745-9435

Academic Journal

10.1080/17459435.2023.2205849