Being family via WeChat
Children's interpretation of long‐distance family relationships
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7149522 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Xiaoying Han (0009-0002-4458-3060, School of Journalism and Communication Sun Yat‐Sen University Guangzhou China, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 286-303 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Children & Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0951-0605 • E-ISSN: 1099-0860 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/chso.12912 |
| OpenAlex | W4403438280 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 36 |
This study explores how left‐behind children in rural China maintain long‐distance family relationships through WeChat, highlighting the significant role of social media during family separation. It underscores the importance of considering children's voices in understanding family relationships in the digital age. Drawing on online workshops and interviews with 41 participants, the research examines how Chinese left‐behind children use WeChat to facilitate parental engagement and manage their emotions. It also investigates the challenges children face in online communication and their perspectives on grandparental involvement. This article argues that children's agency is situated within structural conditions shaped by a confluence of factors, including technological affordances, unique familial contexts, and socio‐economic inequalities. This situatedness fosters creativity, compromises, and adaptations in ‘being family’ at a distance
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| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |