Research Article

Digital Family Practices and Migration: Experiences of Turkish Migrants in the United Kingdom

Number: 24 January 18, 2026
TR EN

Digital Family Practices and Migration: Experiences of Turkish Migrants in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Transnational migration reshapes how families sustain care, intimacy, and belonging across borders, with digital media increasingly central to these ties. This study examines how Turkish migrants in the United Kingdom maintain familyhood through digital communication. Based on semi-structured interviews with 29 participants, the findings show that platforms such as WhatsApp and FaceTime function as infrastructures of everyday co-presence, enabling routine coordination and reassurance while highlighting the irreplaceability of physical proximity. Participants described offering emotional counselling, financial transfers, and practical assistance across borders, while younger generations often acted as digital mediators bridging literacy and etiquette gaps. Online rituals, such as Bayram (Eid) greetings or birthday celebrations, reinforced belonging yet intensified moral surveillance and visibility. The findings demonstrate that everyday digital interactions consolidate transnational solidarity while deepening awareness of absence. The study contributes to scholarship on digital migration and transnational familyhood by conceptualizing digital media as infrastructures of intimacy and care. These insights also hold practical implications for policies and programmes that promote intergenerational digital literacy and emotional well-being in migrant families.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval was obtained from Çankırı Karatekin University Ethics Committee with the decision of Meeting No. 54 dated May 22, 2025

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Screen and Media Culture , Sociology of Family and Relationships , International Migration

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

January 18, 2026

Submission Date

October 6, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 22, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: 24

APA
Demirdiş, S. (2026). Digital Family Practices and Migration: Experiences of Turkish Migrants in the United Kingdom. Erzurum Teknik Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 24, 82-95. https://doi.org/10.29157/etusbed.1798272