“This Is Not the Hill to Die on. Even if We Literally Could Die on This Hill”: Examining Communication Ecologies of Uncertainty and Family Communication About COVID-19

Abstract

As information about the public health risks surrounding COVID-19 continues to shift over time, families communicate to navigate this ongoing uncertainty. For example, families must interpret inconsistent media and public health messages about COVID-19, which may in turn have implications for health risk behavior. Adding to this complexity, household structures and routines are adapting in response to COVID-19. Adult family members in some families may suddenly experience extreme physical proximity, while others must coordinate to make decisions about their health and prevention behaviors while maintaining physical distance. Furthermore, members of these families must balance relational maintenance while communicating to assess and avoid health risks. The ongoing ambiguity of information about COVID-19 means that these relational processes must be managed in the midst of chronic uncertainty. The current study uses semistructured interviews and interpretive analysis to understand how adult children (aged 23-51 years) manage chronic uncertainty about COVID-19 in communication with their parents. Findings explore themes of navigating information about COVID-19 risks and protections, managing uncertainty management about media and political messages, and accepting time-related uncertainties.