Friendship, Connection and Loss: Everyday Digital Kinning and Digital Homing among Chinese Transnational Grandparents in Perth, Australia

This chapter explores how practices of digital kinning and digital homing enacted through smartphones shape the experiences of Chinese older adults in Perth, Australia. Transnational grandparent carers must balance the risks of diminished social networks with the benefits of providing intergenerational care. Some form strong friendships in Perth, but many yearn for a leisured life with their friends in China. Findings illustrate the central role of digital migration practices in transnational families and friendships, not only sustaining distant support networks, but also building new communities in host settings. However, for some, the co-presence afforded through WeChat may intensify feelings of loss and dislocation. Observing these digital practices reveals the emotional geographies that characterize the lives of aged migrants and transnational caregivers.