It’s a wonderful headline for a wonderful life: “Technology found to strengthen US families.“
Technology doesn’t allow people to ignore their parents, siblings and pet rats and disappear into their own hugely self-referential, self-reverential world, otherwise known as Facebook. No, technology promotes family love.
So, at least, say the headlines from a survey published by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, an organization that ‘creates and funds academic-quality research.’
Because life and love interest me greatly I decided to look at the report, which was prepared by two Pew researchers and two from the University of Toronto.
Here is the good news: “American spouses often go their separate ways during the day, but remain connected by cellphones and, to some extent, internet communications. When they return home they often have shared moments of exploration and entertainment on the internet.”
Thankfully, despite the immeasurably positive headlines this report has already enjoyed, it doesn’t actually avoid honesty. The next paragraph is headlined: “Busy and tech-using families are less likely to share meals and less likely to report satisfaction with their leisure time.”
But let’s not think about that for now. Let’s stick with the positives. 33% of those internet users surveyed said that the web had improved their connection with friends “a lot.” While only 23% said it had increased the quality of communication with family members with a similar intensity.
Ah, well, hmm. So where do headlines such as “Technology found to strengthen US families” come from?
They don’t seem to come from the 11% who said that the internet has increased the amount of time they spend working at the office. Or the 19% who said it made them spend more time working at home.
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