Strengthening and supporting parent–child relationships through digital technology: Benefits and challenges

Objective: This paper explores Australian military families' use of social media and digital communication to maintain and strengthen parent–child relationships during military deployments. Background: The physical and emotional well-being of children and partners of military serving members is affected by service. Maintaining positive family relationships between military members and their children during periods of absence (including deployment) is important for parental relationships as well as the well-being of the child. Method: A qualitative meta-analysis is used to collate data from two previous studies of Australian Defence Force (ADF) families with children, in order to generate a new data set from which novel insights were drawn. Results: Families show a preference for social media and digital communication methods, and digital technologies affordances and practicalities are well suited for Defence families with children. There are a range of benefits; digital technologies are used to strengthen relationships between children and their deployed parent. The study highlights a range of challenges for deployed parents as well as points to the work required from the at-home parent in facilitating these connections. Conclusion: Maintaining positive family relationships between military members and their children during times of absences is important for both relationships. This paper explores how ADF families use social and digital communication during military absences and outlines the role these technologies play as a medium for strengthening familial relationship. Implications. The findings of this paper highlight the importance of digital and social communication technologies for supporting families during absences. This has implications for the ADF, who might look to reduce members' access to such communication for security concerns. Reduced family well-being may also have impacts on retention, a key issue for military organizations. Accordingly, the findings of this paper may be used to inform decisions about restricting internet and social media access for deployed military members.