How Technology Interferes with Family Closeness

In an age of ever-increasing technology, family closeness can suffer. There are many ways in which this can occur, and it is important to be aware of them so as to minimize their effect on your family.
In the past, there were a lot less technological diversions. There were no computers for people to chat on, no cell phones on which to chat and no MP3 players on which to listen. Not that long ago there were not even televisions from which to watch. So what did families do? They may have spent more time as a family, talking with each other and communicating. The more they communicated, the closer they may have become. Now, many people are always on these technological devices. You can’t have a meaningful conversation with your child if he or she is plugged into a personal music device or video game.
It is far more than just in the home. How many times have you seen someone at a nice restaurant with their family and a phone pressed against their ear? In the past dinner times were sacred and represented the time that the family got close through conversation and sharing. Now many people will let their technology intrude to even the most special moments. Even if you are in the crowd at your daughter’s ballet recital, are you really there if you are surfing the Internet on your smartphone instead of watching the performance? This technology may make you feel less close to your child and may also make your child feel less close to you if they feel like you choose the technology over them.
Many people are addicted to the different diversions that have come from technology such as checking e-mail and surfing on the Internet. Even if they are spending time together they may rush through these things so that they can get back to their products of technology.
Families have also gotten further apart because they may use technology to communicate in an impersonal manner instead of actually talking to each other. For instance, a child may text message his or her parent to tell them something. It may be a brief one sentence statement. In the past they would have had to have called or talked in person to their mother. The more personal conversations the family has the closer they may become and the fewer can make the opposite be true. When families use technology to communicate, closeness may be sacrificed.
As technology has increases, unfortunately the closeness of many families has decreased. The above issues may play a part in this.