In this study, we examined parents' ( n = 260) perceptions of their own and their children's use of social media and other types of communication technologies in the beginning stages of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) related sanctions (e.g., social distancing) in the United States. We also examined associations between social media and technology use and anxiety. On average, parents reported that both they and their children (especially teenagers aged 13–18) had increased technology and social media use since the beginning of social distancing. Moreover, even after controlling for demographic factors, structural equation models showed that parents and children with higher levels of anxiety (as reported by parents) were more likely to increase their technology use and use social media and phones to connect. Among parents, higher anxiety was related to using social media for both social support and information seeking. Based on these results, we advocate for the utilization of social media by public health officials for collecting, collating, and dispersing accurate crisis-related information. As social media use is widespread, and there is potential for false rumors to cause erroneous behavioral action and/or undue stress and anxiety, we also suggest that social media campaigns be thoughtfully designed to account for individual differences in developmental stages and psychological vulnerabilities.

Recent negative media attention surrounding the use of text speak (shorthand abbreviations of words such as gr8 for “great”) and the potentially detrimental effects of text speak on literacy prompted this study of texting and literacy in 80 college students. Thirty-four text speak users and 46 nontext speak users were assessed on their proficiency and familiarity with text speak as well as their standardized literacy levels and misspellings of common text speak words. Results showed that while text speak users were more proficient with the vocabulary, both groups showed familiarity with text speak. More important, there were no significant differences between the two groups in standardized literacy scores or misspellings of common text speak words. Thus, our analyses showed that the use of text speak is not related to low literacy performance. Nonetheless, more than half of the college students in this sample, texters and nontexters alike, indicated that they thought text speak was hindering their ability to remember standard English. These conflicting findings are discussed within a framework of future directions for research.

The landscape of couple leisure time has shifted to include and, in some relationships, rely upon technology use. Technology has the potential to intrude upon face-to-face interactions and quality time together – i.e., technoference, phubbing. However, it is also likely that couples engage in shared technology use, which could lead to bonding. In the current work, we examined one’s own, one’s partner’s, and shared technology use during couple time across 10 days and the potential impacts on couple-time satisfaction, conflict, and relationship quality. We utilized data from 145 couples who completed a baseline online survey and 10 days of daily online surveys concerning leisure time spent together with their partner and their technology use. Multilevel mediational modeling revealed within-person associations between own and partner technology use with daily leisure satisfaction and leisure conflict. Small, but significant within-person indirect effects on daily relationship quality through leisure satisfaction and conflict were also found for own and partner technology use. In other words, results implied a pathway where technology use impacts one’s satisfaction with and conflict during time spent together, and then this (dis) satisfaction and conflict impacts daily relationship quality. Although shared technology use was also a significant predictor, its effects were not robust.