Families that communicate in group chat rooms on mobile messaging apps are more likely to have stronger bonds compared to those who don’t, a study showed Sunday.

“There is a higher chance that families with group chat rooms feel more satisfaction due to in-depth communication,” according to a report released by the research team led by Sogang University communications professor Cho Jae-hee.

“Family members who are part of such chat rooms are more inclined to accept shared family values and systems,” it added.

The study was based on a survey conducted last year of 324 users of KakaoTalk – South Korea’s most popular mobile messaging app – aged between 20 to 69.

Families without group chats tend not to communicate without a clear purpose and have a relatively weaker bond, it said.

While highlighting the improved convenience in family communication via messaging apps, the researchers warned that excessive online communication could result in a lack of face-to-face interaction in the family.

Citing a 2018 survey of 571 Koreans aged 6 to 19 that showed that they communicate only an average of 13 minutes per day with their family members, while only 53.7 percent of such respondents talk with their parents on a daily basis, they stressed the need for more communication in families.

“Healthy communication in the family can be achieved after acknowledging and overcoming hurdles that block active communication among members.”