Pictorial language: a bridge to meaningful conversation between grandparent and adolescent grandchildren

The relationship between grandparents and adolescent grandchildren (GP-AGC) dyads is not always seen as such a significant one in families (Dunifon and Bajracharya 2012). Attar-Schwartz (2009) argue that although often peripheral, it nevertheless can hold an important role, especially if grandchildren are, for example, living in a single parent family and/or experiencing personal issues. By having time to listen to grandchildren and sharing their life experience, grandparents can often take on the vital roles of confidante and mentor. However, the dynamic of family relationship and also the mobility of family means that opportunities to connect between dyads can be limited (Brown 2003; Attar-Schwartz, Tan, and Buchanan 2009). Studies have shown that standard modes of communication in these situation (contact via telephone and email) are often limited and challenging for grandparents who spend little time with their grandchildren, especially to be able to initiate engaging conversations with their adolescent grandchildren (Boettcher 2006; Davis et al. 2008). The lack of context in their conversation tends to make telephone contact short and feel remote, while contact via email feels less personal. Hiltz (1994) argues the lack of nonverbal gestures can limit the transfer of communicators’ perceptions, standardising social interaction and reducing social context in communication. As a solution to this, some scholars (e.g Derks et al. 2008) have suggested the nonverbal cues in lean CMC has the potential to offer greater emotional content in communications. Thus sets out the direction of this research.