Dr. Claudia Lampert and Joana Kühn published an article on the role of instant messaging services used on mobile devices within families in the journal Studies in Communication Sciences, which is available for download (fee required).
Abstract
With the increasing use of mobile devices, social media applications became part of the communication within families as well. Above all, with its wide range of different services, WhatsApp seems to have established itself as an inherent part of communication within families and was able to satisfy the – sometimes differing – communication needs remarkably well. The article examines what role social media services play in the family, especially WhatsApp; how these services are used, what functions they fulfil and to what extent they are considered in everyday media education. This article is based on the findings of a qualitative-explorative study on the mobile internet use of children aged 7 to 14.
Keywords: Mobile Internet Use, Smartphones, Family, Media Education, Instant Messenger, WhatsApp
Lampert, C.; Kühn, J. (2016): Kommunizieren, Koordinieren, Kontrollieren. Zur Rolle von mobil genutzten Instant-Messaging-Diensten in der Familie [Communicate, Coordinate, Control. On the Role of Used Mobile Instant Messaging Services for Families]. In: Studies in Communication Sciences, DOI: 10.1016/j.scoms.2016.04.003.
