Judicious use of cell phone can help improve parent-child bond

There is a link between parent-child relationships and the frequency and quality of cell phone communication, according to a study by Professor Robert Weisskirch at California State University.

The study, published online in the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, examined specific factors of a cell phone call that could help improve the parent-child bond, for example, the purpose, details, tone, and who initiated the call.

While a cell phone allows parents to extend their reach in a non-invasive manner, the frequency and tone of calls was often a reflection of the quality of the bond between parent and child.

Parents reported greater communication and closeness when their kids initiated calls seeking social support. However teens reported greater conflict when parents called to monitor activity, track schoolwork, and when they were upset.

Teen calls to chat with parents, and to track school work were positive, but parents who called when upset were negatively related. Adolescent self-esteem was indicated by calls seeking support, and negatively associated with parents calling when upset.

Analysis revealed that parents who called more frequently reported less truthfulness when speaking to their adolescents via cell phone. Greater frequency in parental calls also was associated with less adolescent-reported truthfulness.

Researchers found parental calls when upset were associated with less parental knowledge and poorer family relations.

For adolescents, the same was true; however, teens who made calls seeking social support and to confer with parents reported greater perceived parental knowledge and better family relationships.