The Role of Communication Technology Across the Life Course: A Field Guide to Social Support in East York

TL;DR

This study explores how communication technologies influence social support networks across different age groups in East York, revealing that while social ties remain stable, technology use has become integral in maintaining and enhancing support exchanges.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the complex ways communication technologies are integrated into social support networks across various kin and friendship ties in East York.

Findings

Communication technologies increase interaction frequency with siblings and extended kin.

Technologies enable continuous support flow among friends.

Social ties' nature remains stable since the 1960s.

Abstract

We examine how Canadians living in the East York section of Toronto exchange social support. Just as we have had to deconstruct social support to understand its component parts, we now deconstruct how different types of communication technologies play socially supportive roles. We draw on 101 in-depth interviews conducted in 2013-2014 to shed light on the support networks of a sample of East York residents and discern the role of communication technologies in the exchange of different types of social support across age groups. Our findings show that not much has changed since the 1960s in terms of the social ties that our sample of East Yorkers have, and the types of support mobilized via social networks: companionship, small and large services, emotional aid, and financial support. What has changed is how communication technologies interweave in complex ways with different types of social ties (partners, siblings, friends, etc.) to mobilize social support. We found that with siblings and extended kin communication technologies could boost the frequency of interaction and help exchange support at a distance. With friendship ties, communication technologies provide a continuous, constant flow of interaction. We draw implications for theories of social support and for social policy linked to interventions aimed at helping vulnerable groups during the COVID-19 pandemic.