This edited volume explores the interplay between social media and family life across life stages, with contributions from scholars in sociology, psychology, communications, and other fields. Unlike many existing studies on social media that focus primarily on parenting of adolescents, it takes a broader approach by analyzing social media and family dynamics from early childhood through old age, also considering intergenerational relationships broadly. From the phenomenon of “sharenting” and the effects of social media on young children to the role of social media in grandparenting and in coping with death of family members, this volume engages with critical issues like “digital heartbreak,” surveillance within families, and the evolving nature of kin connections. It includes diverse methodological approaches such as qualitative ethnographies, survey-based research, and theoretical analysis. It also includes international perspectives, thus expanding the discourse beyond U.S. and U.K. contexts.

The volume is divided into four parts and offers both empirical and theoretical perspectives on how social media shapes family roles, relationships, and experiences at different life stages. Written in an engaging and accessible style, it is highly relevant for scholars and students in family sociology, life course sociology, and social media studies. 

Deborah Lowry is Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology at the University of Montevallo, where she teaches a range of undergraduate courses. Her work has focused on life course sociology, with a particular interest in applying sociological perspectives to real-world societal challenges and everyday life. She is the author of Aging and the Life Course: Social and Cultural Contexts (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022) and has written on demographic change, intergenerational relationships, and social problems. She earned an M.A. in Sociology from Western Michigan University, a Ph.D. from Michigan State University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan Population Studies Center.

Kimiko Tanaka is Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at James Madison University. She has received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from Michigan State University. She has published articles on Japan to discuss aging, families, culture, rural depopulation, and gender. Her recent publication, Successful Aging in a Rural Community in Japan, highlights the importance of the quality of the community in achieving healthy aging in rural Japan, and provides the important insight that words such as “rural” and “depopulation” do not simply equate with negative outcomes for the elderly in rural Japan. She is currently working on a book on Japanese regional festivals based on archival data, observations, and interviews. It tackles two major questions: Why and how do some Japanese regional festivals thrive and continue to create social solidarity and place-based identities in rapidly changing landscapes?