Digital Genealogies: Understanding Social Mobile Media LINE in the Role of Japanese Families

Abstract

This article explores the emergence of the dominant mobile social media platform in Japan, LINE. In particular, the article focuses upon its usage to maintain familial ties, especially between matriarchal connections. Drawing upon ethnographic work with 12 families over 3 years, this article seeks to provide a detailed and nuanced sense of how social mobile media is deployed intergenerationally.

Social media, rituals, and long-distance family relationship maintenance: A mixed-methods systematic review

“…The family group chat , characterized by frequent messages comprising text, photos, and other content is used by long-distance families to affirm their relationships (Brown, 2016; Cabalquinto, 2019; Doty and Dworkin, 2014; Kang, 2012; Ohashi et al, 2017; Platt et al, 2016; Sinanan et al, 2018; Yoon, 2016; Zhao, 2019). There is evidence the family group chat is used by co-located families as a communal diary shaping collective memories (see Chan, 2018; Karapanos et al, 2016) and to share phatic messages to promote bonding (Padilla-Walker et al, 2012).…”

“…Sharing photographs on Facebook is a highly valued feature (e.g. Ahn, 2017; Cabalquinto, 2019; Ohashi et al, 2017; Plaza and Below, 2014; Quan-Haase et al, 2018; Sinanan et al, 2018). Family tagged their absent members in Facebook posts to include them in celebrations and nostalgic photographs (Cabalquinto, 2018c, 2019).…”

“…They frequently connect using various social media modes such as audio and audiovisual calls, and share media and messages in individual and family group chats (e.g., Bacigalupe and Bräuninger, 2017;Neustaedter et al, 2015). These rituals are not considered substitutes for face-to-face interaction, but for families with limited opportunities to see each other, they help maintain the family identity and relationships (e.g., Cabalquinto, 2018a;Ohashi et al, 2017). While patterned routines can be fulfilling, they require an ongoing time commitment.…”

“…Family members today share photos with social media to recall their stories about people in their networks, their rituals, and to imagine the possibility of seeing each other again (Cabalquinto, 2019;Sinanan et al, SOCIAL MEDIA, RITUALS, AND FAMILIES 9 2018;Zhao, 2019). Shared images add emotion and ambience to communication, and foster a sense of connectivity (Cabalquinto, 2019;Ohashi et al, 2017;Plaza and Below, 2014;Quan-Haase et al, 2018). The flow of images allows for an ambient awareness of the family diaspora (Plaza and Below, 2014).…”

“…The balance of maintaining kinship ties, preserving privacy, and managing impressions in a collapsed context such as Facebook requires careful organization. Some individuals-particularly young adults-perform impression management by accepting friend requests from senior family adults, then restrict that person's access to their newsfeed, or restrict their visible activity by removing tagging privileges of friends (Ohashi et al, 2017;Smith et al, 2012;Yang, 2018;Zhao, 2019). People manage their identity by sharing prudently curated photos, or carefully preparing their physical appearance before direct video communication to deliver an impression of success and well-being to the family (Shiau, 2015;Sinanan et al, 2018).…”