The Role of Online Communication in the Lives of Military Spouses

About this Episode

This episode with Jennifer Rea, University of Minnesota graduate student, is about an article she wrote on the role of online communication in the lives of military spouses. Results from this study offer information on how military spouses use social media not only as a means to feel connected to others, but also as a way to stay connected with their service member during a deployment. The study further emphasizes the importance of community in the life of a military spouse and how Facebook, for example, has allowed spouses to stay connected with their deployed service member, friends, and family.

Guest Bio

Jenny Rea is in the PhD program at the University of Minnesota in the College of Education and Human Development, Family Social Science Department. Her area of research interest is in financial readiness and financial conflict in military couples. As a military spouse, Jenny sees herself assisting young military couples in becoming educated about their finances and their future.

In support of her interests in low-income families, Jenny prepared a research report on families and poverty titled Poverty and Family Finances and was published in AFCPE’s The Standard. In June 2015, Jenny published a journal article in the Contemporary Family Therapy Journal titled The Role of Social Networking Sites in the Lives of Military Spouses. Jenny is currently working on publishing a manuscript on college couples and money with Dr. Virginia Zuiker and Dr. Tai Mendenhall. She is also working on publishing a manuscript on student veterans and social support. Jenny has collaborated with Dr. Joyce Serido and Dr. Virginia Zuiker on a peer-to-peer financial mentoring program titled Financing Post-Secondary Education: The Reality Experience.

Additional Materials

Publication, The Role of Online Communication in the Lives of Military Spouses

Recorded Webinar referred to in Jennifer’s audio cast, Engaging Military Families on Social Media

Jenny Rae’s blog post from 7/29/2015, Once a Marine, Always a Marine – Transition Reflections from a Military Spouse

OneOp FT’s webinar Oct. 13, 2015 Military Family Financial Transitions: Handling Changes in Income, Benefits, & Money Management