NAME: Emily L Gilbert

REG. NO: 22BCE3332

Sociology
Digital Assessment-2
Introduction
Family is the cornerstone on which a child grows up, and hence they mold them into who
they grow up to be. Every action, gesture and action is carefully observed and imitated by
these children. At a certain period of time, only blood relatives were considered to be part
of a family. People lived as a joint family, with uncles, aunts and cousins a part of the
household. Nowadays, that is not the case. Nuclear families are more predominantly seen.
The term “family” is being used with a wider meaning. Close friends, neighbours and
relatives through marriage can even be considered part of a family, based on how strong
their bonds are.

Analyzing Social Media and Familial Relations

Taking a look at the various social media accounts of my own family and friends, they are all
largely positive representations of familial relationships. Most of my family located in India
or the Asian subcontinent have a less number of posts. Their accounts are private and have
a smaller following as well. Comparing this to my family in the United States, they have a
larger number of posts and post pictures and videos more frequently than my family in
India. They also have a larger base of followers. But one thing they both have in common is
that they only post one aspect of their personal family life. A large part of the posts include
celebrations of important achievements or milestones, weddings, and family vacation trips
taken together. In most cases, social media is used only to show the better, joyful spheres of
life.

As humans, we tend to project ourselves in the best way possible, especially on social media
as we know it is seen by the public. Hence, the pictures and videos we post tend to reflect
that view. From perfectly posed pictures to videos of family members laughing together, we
only see the positive, happy moments in a family. Typically, the challenges and struggles
faced by bonds are usually left out or downplayed. The pictures and videos we share are
carefully curated so as to show only the sunnier side. This can create an unrealistic
perspective on families. Every family goes through rough times, but it is usually shielded
from the public eye. Thought there may be times when relations are strained, it is never
projected on social media, since we care so much about public opinion. We should also keep
in mind that they may not always reflect the complete reality of family life. It does not
accurately portray the complex relationships that create the dynamics of a family.
Function of Families
To further explain this, let us take a look at the functionalistic perspective of family. It can be
said that families play vital roles in the smooth running of a society. Before the industrial
revolution, families were also a unit of production. Everything from food to clothes was
produced by the family. Nowadays, the members of the household earn wages and that is
used to buy the required items. It would be difficult to produce the utilities required to live
now as technology has become complex. Originally, family members were responsible for
caring for its dependents. We now have hospital services, social services to provide care as
well. Another function that is primary socialisation begins with family. Children are taught
the values and norms of their community right at home. Families are considered to be safe
space for them to grow and learn, and to provide emotional support but this may not
always be the case. In some cases, families can be the cause for harassment, conflict or even
abuse. Families may not be the safe space we generally consider it to be and it can be the
source of physical violence or emotional cruelty. Very few parts of this are ever shown on
social media. But even then, it has been used as a tool to promote awareness on family
issues.

Changing Nature of Families

In today’s world, the traditional meaning of “family” is ever-changing and a more flexible
definition has been adopted. The nature of families has changed so as to include a wider
sect of people as well. Social media has played a vital role in shedding more light on
unconventional family dynamics and garnering support for them. Sociologists think that it is
misleading to define family as if it has a universal form.

Nowadays, especially in Western culture, it is not uncommon to see single-parent families or

families with homosexual parents. Blended households, same-sex families as well as inter-
racial couples are accepted more in society with the amount of awareness spreading
through media platforms. Families no longer have to fit in the stereotypical setting of a
mother, father and children. There have been other notable changes as well. Men need not
always be the sole bread-winner of the family, especially now that there are more women in
the workforce. The traditional idea that men must support the family financially while the
mother stays at home and takes care of the children is not a requirement anymore.
Recently, Stay-at-home dads had garnered much support from the online community. This
only proves to show how we are accepting more progressive ideas and not sticking to
traditional structures. The current generation has taken to family updates to let their dear
and near ones keep up with them. Hence we see various kinds of functional families on
these platforms.
Conclusion
Social media has been a game changer in every way. Over all, social media has undeniably
influenced the changing nature of families by transforming the ways we connect and engage
with one another. Friends and family all over the world are now linked through these
platforms. Technology has allowed us to be closer to them, creating a more cohesive bond
between members. Families are no longer defined by traditional boundaries or blood
relation. People of shared interests come together to form a community that is nearly
equivalent to a “chosen family” By navigating the complexities of social media mindfully,
families can strengthen their bonds and foster a sense of togetherness in the digital world.

References

 LinkedIn Article: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/changing-nature-

family-global-world-osama-al-mahdi/
 Lumen Learning: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-
socialproblems/chapter/10-2-sociological-perspectives-on-the-family/
 https://revisesociology.com/2020/06/05/what-are-the-functions-of-the-
family-today/
 Open Library: https://open.lib.umn.edu/socialproblems/chapter/10-2-
sociological-perspectives-on-the-
family/#:~:text=The%20family%20performs%20several%20essential,me
mbers%20with%20a%20social%20identity.