Some features:
Technology is enabling new forms of family connectedness that revolve around remote cell phone interactions and communal internet experiences.
Although some commentators have expressed fears that technology pulls families apart, this survey finds that couples use their phones to connect and coordinate their lives, especially if they have children at home. American spouses often go their separate ways during the day, but remain connected by cell phones and to some extent by internet communications. When they return home, they often have shared moments of exploration and entertainment on the internet.
A majority of adults say technology allows their family life today to be as close, or closer, than their families were when they grew up.While new communication technologies have increased the amount of time some people spend at the office or working from home, few people see them as having a negative impact on family closeness.
Indeed, 25% of our survey respondents feel that their family today is now closer than their family when they were growing up thanks to the use of the internet and cell phones, while just 11% say their family today is not as close as families in the past. A majority of adults downplay the impact of technology entirely: 60% feel that new technologies have not made their family any more or less close than families in the past.
This is true of my experience as well.
3 comments:
Technology definitely makes it easier for me to stay in contact with families and friends.
But doesn't that last statistic A majority of adults downplay the impact of technology entirely: 60% feel that new technologies have not made their family any more or less close than families in the past. contradict some of the other claims, such as A majority of adults say technology allows their family life today to be as close, or closer, than their families were when they grew up.?
Overall, respondents in this survey see much upside and little downside in the way new communication technologies, such as the internet and cell phones, have impacted the quality of their communications with others.
For families separated by continents, I know this is true. My only sibling lives astride a couple of countries in Europe and travels a great deal and e-mail (and the occasional text message) really helps us stay in touch. And my nearly 90 and 90 year old parents, who are in another region of the U.S. from me, have e-mail and use it, and I write them a lot as well. So in our case it has definitely made a difference.
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