Residential Mobility, Technology & Social Ties

This research uses the disruption associated with residential mobility, to develop a deeper theoretical understanding of the role of communication technology in the initiation, maintenances and dissolution of social relationships. Residential mobility is a common yet stressful event. It represents a natural experiment, because it puts people in a situation where some of their previous face-to-face interactions must stop or decline, leaving mediated communication as a way to retain contact. Recent movers, who relocate to unfamiliar locations, also face the sometimes daunting task of meeting new people. This research is focused on understanding how movers use the Internet to cope with these changes in their physical and social environments and the effect such changes have on their psychological well-being