The increasing significance of technology-mediated social interactions gives rise
to optimistic expectations that digitalisation leads to various overwhelmingly positive
outcomes in all walks of life. Our study relies on the European Social Survey 10th
wave data (2020–22) to investigate the role of digital status in the relationship
between adult children and parents in 30 countries. We found media multiplexity in
adult child–parent relationships to be coupled in interesting and partly counterintuitive
ways with our novel measure of digital status that captures digital skills and the
outcomes of ICT use. The country-specific binary logistic regression models revealed
that digital skills and the emotional benefits of ICT use have a central role in using
new and old technologies, whereas a positive practical outcome of ICT use decreased
the frequency of adult child–parent contact. By shaping the opportunities of doing
family digitally, the skills and outcomes aspects of digital status have independent
roles in a key segment of intergenerational relationships of adult family members.
