Technology Helps Shore Up Nuclear Family Bonds

Ars Technica reports: It turns out that the typical American family is also the most networked, according to a new report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. In addition to having 1.34 children, a dog, and a white picket fence, the American nuclear family is more likely to have cell phones, computers, and a broadband connection compared to other households.

Pew, which surveyed 2,252 adults in the US between December and January of this year, found that over 90 percent of married-with-children households have at least one cell phone, in addition to one computer. This is compared to only 84 percent of all adults owning one cell phone, and 77 percent owning one computer. 58 percent of these nuclear families have two or more desktop or laptop computers, in fact, and 89 percent own multiple cell phones (47 percent own three or more).

Pew noted that while some fear that technology is ruining families, the
survey found that "couples use their phones to connect and coordinate their lives, especially if they have children at home." Spouses, parents, and kids all manage to stay connected by cell phones and the 'Net during the day when they are separated, and are more likely to share moments with other family members online. (@daughter: OMG school was so lame today!) At least a quarter of survey respondents said that their families today feel closer than their families when they were growing up, thanks to the Internet and cell phones. 60 percent said that new technology has not affected family closeness.

At the same time, there are some elements of the "traditional" American family that appear to be falling by the wayside--due, in part, to technology. Pew said that households with the most technology are more likely to be dual-income households, which also means that they work longer hours and use the Internet more. "Those with multiple communication devices are somewhat less likely to eat dinner with other household members and somewhat less likely to report high levels of satisfaction with their family and leisure time than are families with lower levels of technology ownership," wrote Pew.

The firm's findings come just a few weeks after AT&T released survey results saying that families are using SMS to communicate with each other more than ever before. 76 percent of parents felt that their children were more likely to keep them abreast of their activities through text messaging, while 73 percent of parents said that their kids were more likely to respond to a text compared to other communication methods. Spouses and romantic partners were also found to be texting more, with 68 percent using SMS to send love notes to each other.

One thing is clear from both of these surveys. Technology may be keeping us busier than ever, but you can't beat picking up the phone or sending a quick e-mail to your loved ones just to say "hi."

Also on Ars Technica:

• Motorola Plans Social-Networking for Phones
• Canadian Pol: Broadband a Basic Human Right
• Never Mind Radiation, Fear Cell Phones' Nickel