Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 2021

Abstract

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many college students saw shifts in their relationships. As a result, many turned to texting to maintain these relationships even in a stressful time. Sixty-nine participants responded to a survey about texting family members, friends, and romantic partners during the coronavirus pandemic. They responded to survey items based on the five relational maintenance strategies created by Stafford & Canary (1991). College students used texting somewhat more than before the pandemic to maintain relationships across every relationship type. Depending on the type of relationship, different relational maintenance strategies were emphasized. Although this study examines texted relational maintenance from a communication perspective, further study on the psychological effects of relational changes during the pandemic is recommended.

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