• Journal of Families and Better Life
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.27-41
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• 2014

This study attempted to explain how middle-aged married men and women prospected their family life in terms of their future coresident family members, caregivers, and residence, and what factors were associated with these prospects. The prospects reflected their realistic expectation rather than their preference based on their current life situations. Data were drawn from a survey of 800 married men and women in their 50s and 60s in Seoul and Gyunggi-do. Following previous research, we examined how resources (age, sex, health status, spouse's health status, number of children, current living arrangement, and household income), subjective perception on their responsibility for their parents and children, and relational satisfaction with their spouse and with their children were associated with the prospect. The results showed that these factors were associated with the prospect which is with whom they would live, who would care for them, and where they would live in different ways. The resources were more likely to be associated with the prospect on coresident family members and residence. The perceptions on responsibility were more likely to be associated with the prospect on caregivers. The relational satisfaction was more likely to be associated with the prospect on coresident members. These results underscored that the characteristics of caregiving and family life would change in 10-20 years. Family policymakers need to take these changes into consideration as they deal with issues of family policy.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.401-414
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to examine the associations of Korean older adults' use of Social Network Service (SNS) and text messages with frequency of contact with 1) non-coresident adult children, 2) siblings and relatives, or 3) friends, neighbors, and acquaintances. Data were drawn from the 2017 Survey of Living Conditions and Welfare Needs of Korean Older Persons 65+ (N=8,392), and older adults were categorized into 4 groups depending on their familiarity with use of SNS and text messages. Ordinary Least Squares regression models were estimated for analyses. Results revealed that older users of both types of communication media reported frequent exchanges of calls, text messages, etc. with both family and friends. However, using SNS and text messages was consistently related to more face-to-face contact with non-family members. To conclude, older adults' familiarity with communication media could be key to exchanges of emotional and instrumental support with informal social network members and quality of life in the community. Overall, our results highlight the importance of information communication education targeting older adults for continued involvement with their informal social network members.