I M P L I C A T I O N S O F T E C H N O L O G Y O N T H E M O D E R N D A Y F A M I L Y

B Y: YA S M I N A L G O U N E H

Systemic Babble

T E C H N O L O G Y H A S B E C O M E A N I N T E G R A L PA RT O F T O D AY S S O C I E T Y. W I T H O U T T H E FA S T PA C E D F O R M O F

C O M M U N I C AT I O N , Y O U ’ R E L I G H T Y E A R S B E H I N D T H E M A S S E S . I T I S E A S Y T O A S S U M E T H AT T H E S E A D VA N C E M E N T S H AV E

A L S O D I M I N I S H E D T H E C O M M U N I C AT I O N B E T W E E N FA M I L I E S .

Haiku Deck

A study was conducted proving that children as young as two

and four years old can adapt to technology. The entire study

took about one month to conduct. After the researchers got all their data, they came to find that these children were

already able to immerse themselves into the

technological world with ease.

(Young Children's Initiation into Family Literacy Practices in the Digital Age, 2015)

Shutterstock

Young children have become attached to their phones/ electronics, so much so that texting them is the parents’ main

form of communication.

Viralturn

TechWorm

Globoforce Stock Photo

We are now able to connect any device to the web and communicate with people globally. 29% of individuals aged 18-34 have used “Over-the-top” (devices that connect TVs to the web). This has gone up 23% since the previous year.

(The Globe and Mail, 2014)

Odyssey

S M A R T P H O N E U S A G E H A S I N C R E A S E D 8 0 % S I N C E 2 0 1 3 B E T W E E N 1 8 - 3 4 Y E A R O L D S ;

R E S I D I N G AT 6 2 % I N 2 0 1 4 .

( T H E G L O B E A N D M A I L , 2 0 1 4 )

Extruderspheronizer

“ W E A R E I N T H E E A R LY S TA G E S O F S E E I N G W H AT T E C H N O L O G Y C A N D O . ”

( T H E N E W Y O R K T I M E S , 2 0 1 5 )

Insights

Children have become more isolated, spending more time on their devices interacting with others virtually.

Flickr

Dreamstime

All the technology surrounding us can also result in less empathetic behaviour. When someone is so engulfed in texts, emails & I.Ms, it is easy to

forget social cues when having a real face to face conversation.

(HowStuffWorks, 2012)

AP Images

All the time spent online can have serious implication on the teens Mental health.

Flickr

“two hours a day, a full one-quarter of students in the study, report poor self-rated mental health, psychological distress, suicidal ideation or unmet need for mental health support.”

(ProQuest, 2015)

citelighter

Copyright: ISTOCKPHOTO

“…children are loath to ask adults for help or tell them about any problems they encounter online because they don't want their devices to be taken away.”

(Guardian News and Media, 2014)

C O P Y R I G H T, S H U T T E R S T O C K : L E N K A H O R AV O VA

Inhabitat

Sleepsmarter

A LT H O U G H T H E M E A N S O F C O M M U N I C AT I O N C A N F O R M C L O S E R E L AT I O N S H I P S O N L I N E , I T M AY A L S O R E S U LT I N L E S S C O N T R I B U T I O N T O FA M I LY A N D C O M M U N I T Y A F FA I R S .

( S A G E J O U R N A L S , 2 0 0 1 . P. 7 8 7 )

Dreamstime

The quality time would no longer exists. Whether it’s at the dinner table, in front of the TV or in the car, there will always be

access to the phone. Parents don’t feel like they’re getting to spend any time with their children.

(HowStuffWorks, 2012)

SitesatPennState

Shutterstock

T H E H O U R S S P E N T O N L I N E C A N R E A L LY

A F F E C T A P E R S O N ’ S D AY T O D AY A C T I V I T I E S .

P E O P L E A R E S O FA S C I N AT E D B Y T H E

P O S T S O N T H E I N T E R N E T T H AT T H E Y C A N E V E N F O R G E T T O D O T H E I R

B A S I C D A I LY R O U T I N E . “ M O R I A H C O N C E D E S T H AT S H E N E G L E C T E D T H E B U S

A N D D O G , A N D B L A M E S FA C E B O O K , W H E R E T H E

P O S S I B I L I T Y T H AT C R U C I A L U P D AT E S F R O M

F R I E N D S M I G H T B E WA I T I N G D R AW S H E R

O N L I N E A S S O O N A S S H E WA K E S . ”

( T H E N E W Y O R K T I M E S , 2 0 0 9 )

Insights

PA R E N T S F E E L A D I S C O N N E C T F R O M T H E I R C H I L D R E N ; T H E K I D S A R E S O I M M E R S E D I N S O C I A L M E D I A , T H AT T H E Y PAY N O AT T E N T I O N T O

T H E I R PA R E N T S . A S T U D Y C A M E T O F I N D T H AT W H E N A PA R E N T C O M E S H O M E F R O M W O R K , T H AT T H E Y W O U L D O N LY G E T G R E E T E D

3 0 % O F T H E T I M E D U E T O T H E T I M E S P E N T O N S O C I A L M E D I A . ( T H E H U F F I N G T O N P O S T , 2 0 1 3 )

PazarcikHavadis

PA R E N T S C L A I M T H E O N LY WAY T O G E T I N S I G H T O N T H E I R C H I L D R E N ’ S L I V E I S T O J O I N T H E M A S S E S W H E N I T C O M E S T O T E C H N O L O G Y. ( R E F E R R I N G T O D A RW I N , “ W E ’ V E H A D T O A D A P T O R D I E B E C A U S E T H AT ’ S T H E O N LY WAY Y O U C A N C O M M U N I C AT E W I T H T H E M . ” )

( T H E G L O B E A N D M A I L , 2 0 1 3 )

ConsumerReports

The technological advances we have made in the last two decades have been nothing short of remarkable. However, there must come a time when we step back and think about the implications these devices have made on our lives. As convenient as a device may be, it can never take away the true joy of living your life entirely.

StockPictures

W O R K C I T E D

• Academic Sources: "Four Ways Canadians Are Consuming Media Differently." The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail, 2014. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

“Teens’ Poor Mental Health Linked to Social Media Use.” ProQuest. The Ottawa Citizen, 2015. Web. 17 Oct. 2016

"Portrait of an E-family: How They're Making Their Hyper-Digital Lives Work." The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail, 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

"Young Children's Initiation into Family Literacy Practices in the Digital Age." Young Children's Initiation into Family Literacy Practices in the Digital Age, 2015. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

"Technology, While Not a Fountain of Youth, Can Make Aging Safer.” The New York Times, 2015. Web. 16 Oct. 2016.

W O R K C I T E D

• External Sources: “Computers, the Internet, and Families. A Review of the Role New Technology Plays in Family Life.” Sage Journals, Journal of Family Issues, 2001. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

"Is Technology Helping Families Communicate or Holding Them Back?" The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 2014. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.

"Is Technology Creating a Family Divide?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 2013. Web. 19 Oct. 2016.

"5 Ways Technology Has Negatively Affected Families." HowStuffWorks, 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

“Breakfast Can Wait. The Day’s First Stop Is Online.” The New York Times, 2009. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.