IntroductionIn this 21st century that we live in, almost everyone has a personal computer to connect with the World Wide Web. With the invention of digital handheld devices and smart phones, more are able to gain access to the World Wide Web. This is why more companies are sprouting out with Social Media related sites like Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, and different blog platforms (e.g. Blogger, Wordpress, Tumblr).
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According to a Nielson poll done in August 2009, it has shown that countless people are spending several hours interacting on popular social networking sites. Internet users are spending 17% of their surfing time on social networking and blogging sites.
The Pew Internet Project also reported that of the 93% American children between 12-17 years old using the internet, 55% have social networking profiles on various social and blogging sites.
With the emphasis being placed on social networking, and with majority of the time being spent using these sites, more are beginning to question, how is the interaction of families being affected. Everyone is using Social Media, but how do families use Social Media together? Many families these days do not have much face-to-face interaction. In the past, when you picture a family having a meal together, you would see happy faces communicating, sharing about their day. But now, picture a family dinner, and you would see a meal where the family is still seating together, but how much face-to-face interaction actually takes place? Within a minute, a teenagers’ phone will beep, notifying her that she has received a mention on Twitter. In the next, the parent’s phone will beep, notifying him that someone has tagged a photo of him on Facebook. In this age, having a simple dinner together is getting more difficult. |
Click on the link below to find out more on how social media is affecting family relationships, both positively, and negatively.