Media Multiplexity in Everyday Meaningful Social Interaction: Communication Channels and Maintenance of Close Friendships

In today’s media landscape, there are an ever-expanding number of communication channels that people can use to communicate within their interpersonal relationships. This study, grounded in Media Multiplexity Theory, investigates how communication channels are used during everyday meaningful social interactions and their impact on close friendships. Using data from an intensive longitudinal field study (N = 1,423 young adults; 27,644 experience sampling observations), we found that young adults used more communication channels during meaningful interactions within their strong tie relationships (e.g., close friends, friends, romantic partners), and tended to have such interactions with strong ties via phone calls or direct messages. In contrast, meaningful interactions with weak ties tended to occur in-person or via video calls. Findings from a social network survey indicated that the odds of the friendship being maintained several months later were higher for those who used more communication channels when having meaningful interactions with their close friends. Overall, the findings support and extend Media Multiplexity Theory by examining communication channels use within dyadic relationships for high quality social interactions and its impact on the maintenance of close friendships, which has implications for how people navigate social connections in an increasingly digital environment.