The widespread Internet and mobile access to new technologies has affected adolescents' daily lives. Prior studies have attributed the influences of emerging technologies to the negative effects of adolescent behavior, while little attention was given to the results of family relationships. Drawing from the perspectives of communication motives and family relationships, this study develops an empirical model by investigating the connections between adolescents' communication motives and their perceptions of relational maintenance and intimacy with their parents. A group of 307 adolescents were surveyed and analyzed by statistical methods. The results show that adolescents prefer using instant messaging to communicate with their parents, which motivates them to express their feelings and assurances. In addition, geographical location and family communication patterns affect adolescents' perceptions of communication motives, relational maintenance, and intimacy. Finally, the empirical model is proved to not only compare the adolescents' perceptions of using different media in family communication but also reveal the consequences that correspond to the parent– adolescent dyads relationships. The implications are expected to consolidate adolescent-parent relationships through the complement of new communication media.
行動通訊對於「數位原生代」的日常生活已是不可或缺的使用工具;過去相關議題研究大多著重於青少年使用新媒體科技後的負面影響,鮮少關注其對家庭關係影響層面的探究。據此,本研究發展出一套實證模式探索青少年使用新媒體科技與父母溝通的動機、關係維繫與親密關係為何,以瞭解青少年使用新媒體科技為家庭帶來了何種影響。根據307份有效樣本的統計結果,顯示青少年主要以即時通訊與父母聯繫,而此較能激勵青少年對父母表達自身的感覺與信賴感;其「居住區域」與「家庭溝通模式」亦會間接影響青少年與父母溝通的動機、關係維繫與親密關係的感知。此模式同時印證了新媒體科技對鞏固青少年與家庭親密程度能發揮極大的輔助作用。