The transition to college represents a pivotal developmental moment, particularly for young adult women navigating increased independence and emotional complexity. During this period, mother-daughter relationships often serve as vital sources of support and connection. Drawing from Zoom conversations with 126 mother-daughter dyads, this thematic analysis explores the everyday and strategic ways technology facilitates or complicates their relationship maintenance. Findings revealed that dyads relied on both active and passive mediated maintenance strategies, including everyday talk, social presence, location tracking, and social media viewership. Although video chat was valued for its emotional richness, text messaging allowed for ongoing contact and flexibility. Participants also identified barriers, such as app incompatibility, difficulty conveying tone, and time constraints. Importantly, many dyads attributed their sustained closeness to a combination of technological affordances and the natural evolution of their relationship during emerging adulthood.
Edwards et al. (Sat,) studied this question.