The virtualization of communications with relatives

Abstract

The following article presents findings from research data collected in a representative survey implemented in Spain to 2800 Internet users aged between 16 and 74. The survey focused on respondents’ online communicative interactions with their relatives, which they engaged in on the previous day to the survey. Respondents were asked to describe the specific features of those who used virtual contact and the modalities of such contacts. For instance, special contexts are examined and results show that five out of six Internet users were accompanied while communicating with their relatives. Findings revealed that at least half of respondents felt such communication would have been better if it had taken place face-to-face and not online. Through this segmentation analysis, it is shown that variables such as gender, age, and economic status articulate all the characteristics differentiating these participants.