Question: Do cell phones and social media make family

relationships stronger?
Cells phones and social media have changed our family
relationships drastically. As technology has advanced people
have simultaneously become connected and disconnected
and this is evident in family relationships. For instance, a
book by Sherry Turkle, Alone Together, talks about a study
conducted where parents and children were asked their
opinion about technology. The results were stunning. Many
children reported that they felt their parents were addicted
to their phone or computer. Children stated a desire for their
parents to spend quality time and interact with them. This
study shows the growth of social media addiction in families
and a need for more family social interaction.
Alternatively, technology can be used to keep families
connected. It can help members keep track of schedules,
location, and a sense of security between members that
parents and/or children can be reached immediately if
needed.
Cell phones and social media do make family relationships
stronger because of a number of reasons. Most significantly,
it improves connectivity and communication between family
members. For instance, due to the global pandemic, COVID-
19, people have been forced to stay home and practice social
distancing. This has led to a decrease in human face-to-face
interaction especially if they do not live close to each other.
In this difficult time cell phones and social media have helped
families stay in contact. Cell phones and social media have
helped family members who are miles apart communicate
and due to the travel restrictions that were imposed by
COVID-19 regulations it improved connectivity more.
However, cell phones and social media have also made family
relationships weaker. One common negative effect cell
phones and social media has on children and teens is
addiction. Since children have become more addicted to their
phones it causes them to distance themselves from their
parents. This is most common amongst teens, they don’t take
any interest in family gatherings showing no affection and
love in the surroundings even if they are sitting together.
Cell phones and social media have a negative effect on
marriage relationships. Increased levels of social media usage
have led to more problems in the relationship, including
infidelity, conflicts, jealousy, and eventually divorce. When
one partner spends too much time on their phones and social
media rather than giving their partner attention this can lead
to conflicts in the household. It can also cause mistrust
because they would often think their partner is cheating and
cause arguments. In the case where they have children this
can cause the children to be distressed due to the constant
conflict and neglect their parents depict.
In conclusion, cell phones and social media can have both a
negative and positive effect on family relationships and while
they were created to connect people, they can also cause
distance between family members. It is best to not
excessively use them because excessive use leads to
addiction. While they can be addictive, responsibility is left to
the user to not over use them.