Technology and the family

Technology is rapidly spreading and growing throughout the United States and even the world. It has controlled the way we think and perform everyday activities. It ranges from a cell phone to a MP3 Player. Now-a-days you have computers in your pocket when you are referring to your cell phone. Like take me for example; I have an iPhone and it basically works like a palm computer. I like my phone a lot and spend the majority of my time on it; whether it’s checking emails or playing games. Basically cell phones consume a lot of time especially when you are dealing with teenagers. You have also have iPods which also act like a palm computer and as an MP3 player. Everywhere you turn there is someone with an iPod or MP3 player. Things like this seem to grasp the attention of many Americans; leaving them with little time to concentrate on reality or more important things at times, like family.

Technology is also infiltrating family circles with its new and updated advances. One person during class discussion said that she had a first-hand experience of how technology is affecting the family. She said that at a country club that everyone in the family was in their own little world and not really having family time while at dinner. Like she said, for all that they could have stayed home and ate dinner individually. People are so flabbergasted with new technology that it seems as though that’s all they care about.

Over the summer before the release of the iPhone 4s, the anticipation for the device was egregious. I was employed at RadioShack and that was the number-one question product that people were concerned about. The only thing that prevents technology from completely taking over families is the price of technology. A family that survives living around the poverty line will not be able to afford the latest technology. By the time they are able to, technology will be so far advanced that it would hardly affect they’re family structure. But on the other hand, high-income and middle-upper class families cruise right along with technology and it takes over the mindsets and functions of family members. The main concern with technology is that it will soon create splits in the family. With that being said it could disrupt the disciplinary rules and the way the family operates. Technology is not all bad because it increases the ability to keep up with family members and increase communication.