ABOUT
Friendship & Communication Technology Expert
Dr. Natalie Pennington is an associate professor of Communication Studies at Colorado State University and a co-leader for the American Friendship Project.
Dr. Pennington’s research utilizes quantitative and qualitative methodologies, focusing on social connection, including the use of interpersonal media to support our relationships and well-being, with a primary focus on friendship.
Dr. Pennington’s work has been published in several journals, including the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Social Media + Society, Communication Research, and Communication Monographs.
IN THE NEWS
RECENT RESEARCH
Navigating Friendship Following Employment Change and the Relationship to Well-Being
Buzzetta, A. Pennington, N., & Holmstrom, A. J. (2026). Starting a new job is supposed to be exciting: An exploration of friendship and well-being following employment change. Communication Reports.
Sociality in Young Adulthood and the Tension Between Loneliness and Connection
Hall, J. A., Pennington, N., & Holmstrom, A. J. (2025). Lonely and connected in emerging adulthood: The ambivalence of sociality in a time of transitions. PLOS One.
Changes in Sociality and the Relationship with Mobile and Social Media Use and Well-Being
Hall, J. A., & Pennington, N. (2025). How changes in sociality over time moderates the association between mobile and social media use and well-being. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication.
The Experience of Friendship and Well-being for Single Individuals
Hu, J. M., Holmstrom, A. J., Pennington, N., & Hall, J. A. (2025). What friendship characteristics are associated with well-being among unpartnered individuals in the United States? Personal Relationships.
Best Friends and Romantic Partners and the Relationship to Well-Being
Pennington, N., Wolfe, B. H., Hall, J. A., Holmstrom, A. J., & Schaffer, S. T. (2025). What’s in a label? Examining the intersection of best friends and romantic partners and well-being. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
Increasing Daily Well-being through Quality Conversations
Hall, J. A., Holmstrom, A. J., Pennington, N., Perrault, E., & Totzkay, D. (2025). Quality conversations can increase daily well-being. Communication Research.
The American Friendship Project
Pennington, N., Hall, J. A., & Holmstrom, A. J. (2024). The American Friendship Project: A report on the status and health of friendship in America. PLOS One.
Adult Sibling Use of Communication Technology
Corder, M., Hall, J. A. Pennington, N., & Holmstrom, A. J. (2024). Adult sibling relationships and media multiplexity theory. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
The Use of Technology in Virtual Collaborations
Rice, R. M., & Pennington, N. (2024). Involuntary adoption of ICTs during emergencies: Temporality of technology use in virtual collaborations. Management Communication Quarterly.
Responding to Cross-Cutting Political Views on Social Media
Pennington, N., & Palagi, J. S. (2023). Examining how social and emotional factors inform response to cross-cutting political views on social media. Social Media + Society.
Using Technology to Meet Belongingness Needs
Hall, J. A., Pennington, N., & Merolla, A. J. (2023). Which mediated social interactions satisfy the need to belong? Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication.