Modern technology allows students to stay connected with their geographically-distant family members

By Aili Arnell
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Junior Brian Wiess has family dispersed across the United States and he said he finds it hard to keep in touch. Wiess said, “I’m really not that close as I wish I could be to my non-immediate family. Most of them live a couple hours north of us so it’s hard for us to go up there unless we want to spend a couple of days with them. My other cousins, which live in Virginia, I only see once a year which is during Christmas. It’s hard to be close to them when you don’t see them too often.”

With the holiday season approaching, family becomes a dominant theme. When families come together for the first time in months, people talk about recent occurrences in their lives. Without technology, there could be endless topics to get caught up on.

According to the Pew Research Center, today, about 84 percent of all adults own a cell phone, 77 percent own a computer and 52 percent have a home broadband connection. Although some critics have expressed fears that technology pulls families apart, in reality many people use their phones to connect and coordinate their lives. Friends and family often go their separate ways during the day but remain connected by cell phones and to some extent by Internet communications. To some extent, technology is not always the right option.

In a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 53 percent of people said that technology has increased their quality of communication with family members who do not live with you, 47 percent of people that communication increased with members of their household and 47 percent said that communication increased with friends.

Wiess said, “Technology has definitely helped me keep in touch with my family. With the feature of AIM I don’t have to use minutes or keep the phone lines clogged up for the rest of my family. I have three other siblings, so the landline is usually being used by someone. AIM and the Internet makes it easier to say what you need to say in a quick and easy way.”

Interpersonal relations teacher Lila Torp said, “I do believe that technology does help to an extent but when technology is all you are relying on, it isn’t good. In a good relationship, people should be able to talk via technology and in person with no problem. When people begin to not be able to talk in person, there is a problem. I think that’s a problem with kids today. They are so caught up with talking online and texting that they lose all other contact with people.”

She later said that any form of communication is better than no communication at all. Torp said, “It is extremely important to keep in contact with family because to have a healthy relationship, communication is key. A good, solid relationship with family, both immediate and not, is essential because family is a major support system.”

Wiess strongly agreed and said, “(Family members)are the people that you should be able to talk to and share your thoughts with. They are there for you when no one else is. They should be interested in what you have to say even if it’s crazy. A good family relationship is key for everyone.”

Torp said, “Just remember it is important to have a good relationship with family because they will always be there for you. ”

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Technology Ownership by Household type

All adults: 84 percent own cell phones, 77 percent own computers, 52 percent have broadband connection

Married with children: 95 percent own cell phones, 93 percent own computers, 66 have broadband connection

Multimember: 88 percent own cell phones, 81 percent own computers, 55 percent have broadban connection

PEWREASEARCH.ORG / SOURCE