ABSTRACT
Human communication begins with family communication. Because the family is the most significant group in a community, such communication is crucial for the well-being of society, and family contact is essential to a child's existence. When youngsters leave their hometown to further their education, they feel estranged from their relatives. However, the advent of social media platforms such as WhatsApp allows parents and children to communicate. The goal of this study was to find out how PPM RJ Bandung students and parents connect via WhatsApp and what hurdles they encountered. This study employed quantitative methods and a descriptive research design. Questionnaires were distributed to 104 respondents to collect research data. The census sample technique was employed in this study on students at PPM RJ Bandung 2023. Primary data were gathered using questionnaires, while secondary data were obtained through previous research, books, and the internet. Descriptive data analysis was employed as a data analysis technique. This value demonstrates that communication through WhatsApp is situated in two categories: advantages and disadvantages. Each category is characterized by specific indicators, such as Easy to Use, Exchange Information, Share Stories and Photos, Difficult Expressing Emotions, Limitation to Building Interpersonal, and Signal. The data revealed that the portrayal of long-distance family communication using WhatsApp at PPM RJ Bandung with this one variable falls into the "good category" with a percentage of 77.1%.
Keywords: Family communication, Mediated communication of WhatsApp