Transnational Intergenerational Communication

Text-based communication, which is perceived as a relatively lower intimacy ICTs without performing facial expressions, is adopted by daughters and fathers in transnational intergenerational communication. Most informants in this study indicated that they love each other and care about each other very much. Thus, it is difficult for both fathers and daughters adopt high intimacy, such as voice calls and video calls, to contact with each other.

My father would feel awkward when he is having calls with me. He can’t have long conversation. He usually asks typical question, such as how are you, do you have meal. The funniest thing is that he asks me whether I have enough money or not. And this is the ending question during the conversation (Pinky).

I don’t have video calls with him actually. It is like we don’t have many things to talk about. It would be embarrassed if we have video calls (Cat). …show more content…
The rationales of choosing different medium to different intergenerational are shaped by different intimate relationship between daughters and their parents and expectations among different family roles. Mothers practice more positive contactors in intergenerational communication than fathers with regard to expectations on the roles of mothers. While fathers, who are expected to perform distant but loving fathers, perform passive roles in intergenerational communication. Text-based communication, which is less direct and less emotional driven, is adopted for father-daughter transnational relationships that daughters and fathers have strong emotions, but both of them are difficult to express their feelings directly. While, mother-daughter relationships are maintained by voice-based communication, which is more instant and direct, for they relatively have closer ties with each