A new study by the Barna Group took an in-depth look how technology is changing the way we communicate, and what the impact is on our families.
They released a short version of the study here, which came away with the following conclusions:
1. Parents are just as dependent on technology as are teens and tweens.
Most people assume that teenagers are driving the technology gap in families. Yet the research points out that the gap is much smaller than most imagine. In reality, parents are using technology and media to nearly the same degree as their 11- to 17-year-olds.2. Most family members, even parents, feel that technology has been a positive influence on their families.
While many assume that families are fed up with technology, by nearly a two-to-one ratio parents think of technology like computers, cell phones and video game systems as making their family life better rather than worse (32% to 18%). Most describe the influence as neutral (51%).3. Very few adults or youth take substantial breaks from technology.
Americans’ dependence on””what some might call addiction to””digital technology is apparent in the study’s findings. One out of three parents and nearly half of 11- to 17-year-olds say there are not any specific times when they “make the choice to disconnect from or turn off technology so they can have a break from it.” And those who take such breaks tend to be driven by convenience rather than intentionality. For example, only 10% of parents and 6% of teenagers say they try to take off one day a week from their digital usage.4. Families experience conflict about technology, but not in predictable ways.
First, parents and their children experience conflict about technology, but not frequently. Only about one in every four parents said they had “strong disagreements about the limits on media and technology” on a weekly basis. About the same proportion says that “technology causes tension between me and my parents / kids.” Still, half of parents (49%) worry about technology and media wasting their children’s time, among other things.5. Few families have experienced””or expect””churches to address technology.
Most parents and tweens/teens have not heard any kind of teaching in a church, religious setting, or public forum (like a school) about how families can best use media, entertainment or technology. In other words, most families are not getting any coaching or assistance when it comes to integrating technology into their family life. {Read the rest of the study highlights here.}
I don’t know about you, but it seems like #2 and #4 contradict each other, but I suppose those two sections meant something different to the researchers. I know technology has impacted my family’s day-to-day life enormously. My kids (4 and 2) use my iPad more than I do and even my 2-year-old showed me how to group the icons on the screen by category. On the flip side, I do take walks with the kids every day, or take them to park to run around and burn off some energy.
What do you say? Do you think technology has a positive impact on your family?
Tara Pringle Jefferson is managing editor of BlackAndMarriedWithKids.com. She’s also the author of Make It Happen: The Young Mommy Guide To Creating The Career You Crave. Follow her on Twitter or check out her blog for her insights on what it means to be a mom, wife, student, writer, and about three other labels she’s too tired to remember.