Face-to-face vs virtual contact with extended family

A potential key point to consider about the study child’s interaction with extended

family is whether that contact is in a face-to-face physical setting or occurs virtually

via phone call or video call. Given the proliferation of smartphones and other

methods for engaging with friends and family via video or audio call, accelerated by

face-to-face restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is possible that the study

child has regular contact with their extended family members via digital channels.

Video chats have been shown to help children aged 0-5 years bridge distances

between themselves and extended family (Strouse et al., 2021), which may also be

relevant for the children of immigrant parents.

Having already asked the study child’s parent about the child’s interaction with their

extended family, it is important to ask about the nature of this interaction given the

increased prevalence and ease of access to videochats. Like the new question about

interaction with extended family, this question has longitudinal value and can help

inform what impact different modes of familial interaction may have on the study

child’s outcomes. This is likely to be particularly relevant to children whose parents

have emigrated to Ireland, where in-person contact with extended family members is

not possible. It could also help researchers understand the extent to which the digital

world is integrated into the young child’s ‘microsystem’ of family relationships.

Recommendation for face-to-face vs virtual contact with extended family:

•Ask the study child’s parent if the contact they have with their extended family, using the categories of grandparent(s); aunt(s)/uncle(s); and cousin(s), is entirely face-to-face contact, entirely virtual contact, or a mix. If the answer is either virtual or a mix, ask if it is via videochat or via voice call.

More detail on the child’s relationship with their siblings