Nowadays, it is hard to imagine an ordinary day without the Internet. People find it normal to use social technologies for different purposes. In 2019, there are more than 4.39 billion people who use the Internet regularly (Kemp, 2019). Regarding such a considerable spread of opportunities, social media may challenge human relationships in a variety of ways. This paper aims at discussing the effects the Internet has on families through the prism of communication, the desire to compare, and the intentions to find information quickly.
The Internet creates a number of opportunities for people to develop long-distance relationships and communicate from different parts of the world. However, not much attention is paid to the quality of communication in families. Kemp (2019) discovered that more than 4.4 billion people spend approximately 6-7 hours online daily. Regarding such statistical data, it is hard to understand when people are able to communicate face-to-face and focus on their interpersonal relationships.
The Internet may cause a parent to spend some time online instead of talking to a kid. Many children of different ages prefer to surf the web and exchange their photos and stories globally instead of sharing the same emotions and experiences within their families.
Another example of how the Internet can challenge families is the possibility to compare personal lives with the lives of other families. It is normal for people to create personal accounts and pages, write stories, and focus on the latest achievements. However, the causes of such intentions may be dramatic for some people. A wife can see how someone’s husband gives a rich present to his woman and begin comparing her routine relationships with an outstanding performance in other families. In other words, the Internet may sow the seed of discord that grows fast due to the development of such normal human emotions like pride, envy, boasting, and desire.
Finally, it is necessary to admit that the World Wide Web is one of the biggest information systems where people find an answer to any question. Such an opportunity turns out to be a dangerous challenge for many families. The examples include the possibility to search for a medical piece of advice, take some tests, or read an article from an unreliable source. The relationships in families depend on the quality of information the members find online.
Instead of addressing a real professional expert, a parent surf the web and make a decision relying on personal evaluations and judgments. Although quick help and recommendation online has certain benefits, some families feel hopeless as soon as they do not have access to the Internet.
In general, the role of the Internet continues to grow in the modern world. The number of Internet users regularly increases due to the possibility to use multiple options and extend the boundaries of social relationships. However, the Internet may also cause some problems in families. Partners, parents, and children are seduced by online opportunities and do not actually recognize what they lose, sacrificing their real face-to-face relationships.
Reference
Kemp, S. (2019). Digital 2019: Global internet use accelerates. Web.