Cyberphobia – The fear of computers. Is that possible with today’s technological advances? As technology grows day by day, so has the interest about them. Because computers have “evolved from bulky, expensive, and mysterious equipment” to “functional tools for work and fun at the office or home” (Kayany & Yelsma 215) they have been popping up in more and more frequently in homes and businesses as time progresses. My research paper asks the very basic question: “Do computers bring families together, or pull them apart?” Many studies have already been conducted on this subject, but to a more refined question. An article such as Gustavo S. Mesch’s “Family Characteristics and Intergenerational Conflicts over the Internet” studies the changes in family interaction patterns with “conflicts arising over adolescents’ autonomy” as well as “parental authority and control of the computer” (Mesch 473). Many researchers have stated that the internet can be a good thing in the sense that “the Internet has the potential to exert positive effects on the family” and “provides access to online information on family issues such as parenting, children’s school needs, and divorce” (Mesch 477). The internet, however, isn’t all sunshine and smiles though. Computer dependence, information overload, and online sexual predators are all very real and very dangerous (Oravec 310). Online pornography has also crept into the scene causing additional trouble but has been passed onto the role of the parent, questioning the parent-in-question’s “ability to control the dissemination of information inside the confines of the home” (Oravec 312). Additional problems spring up when adolescents, or “e-teens”, have access to the internet. Cybersex, overexposure to information, and compulsive internet use provide whole new issues for families and therapists to deal with (Delmonico & Griffin 431). Clearly with all these risks, one would think that the internet is a dangerous place for adolescences. As each day passes, more young people explore what the internet has in store for them. Services such as AOL Instant Messenger, Internet Relay Chat (IRC), and E-mail have increased communication between family members near and far.
As computers have developed, so have the people that use them. No longer are these machines confined to laboratories held within research facilities. With the rise of technology, the internet, and personal communication devices, these machines have made their way into virtually every home and work place, affecting the way we communicate and do business. As David Watt and James M. White have studied, computers have affected each step throughout our life. From education to business, and from mate selection to retirement, computers are present at each step of the way. And as Gustavo Mesch has researched, many families will experience a significant boost from having a computer in the household, or in some cases, serious negative effects. One sentence within his research journal states that “Domestication implies that families with access to information and communication technology differ from those without them, not only in access to technology but in family dynamics as well.” (Mesch, 120). With that statement, there has also been a divide within the researchers. Some believe that there has been a change in the way that they communication, and others believe that family communication has stayed the same, even with technological advances within that particular field.
Starting from childhood, if computers are present, that immediately sparks a change in the way children perceive education, friends, and even family. With that change in mind, we can study the way the child interacts with his or her family. In addition to computers and the internet, the television also plays a part in communication, as it too has been advancing with each technological breakthrough. As more time is spent in front of the television and not with family members, this breaks down communication patterns and therefore weakens family bonds. Some families benefit from the use of the internet for communication purposes. “Other studies present different evidence on the effects of the Internet on family time and suggest that rather than isolating children from their parents the Internet has become a shared household activity” (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2003).
Research for this topic fell right into place. Since this paper focuses primarily on family interactions through modern technology and, more specifically, the internet, I have decided that confronting my immediate family with a short questionnaire as well as a brief interview would provide the best results. My sample size is not very large, four individuals total, so I asked more questions to gather more information. This did not prove to be troublesome, as my family was more than generous to provide me with the information I needed for this paper. Not to say that they didn’t “polish” the information, I asked specific and direct questions and asked that they provide the utmost honest responses.
The first have of my data collection was comprised with one on one interviews with each individual of my family. I sat each member down and asked them a series of questions concerning their communications with other family members as well as friends, coworkers, etc. The interviews lasted approximately ten to fifteen minutes and tried to gather as much information as possible within that timeframe. Questions included “Approximately how many text messages do you send each day?” as well as “How long are you on the phone with family members? friends? Coworkers?” and “How often do you check your email?” I believe these questions make it easier to collect data because it is not qualitative and there is really no interpretation other than calculating numbers. This gives me as well as the reader a rough estimate as to how long the user spends communicating with other friends as well as the amount of familiarity present with each user and technology. I believe this also affects the amount of text messages, emails, etc. sent.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are also interviews carried out with each member of my family. These interviews are like the questionnaires in the sense that they gather information as to how the user communicates with other family members but this targets qualitative data. These interviews give the user a little bit more free reign to answer the questions as they please and, if interested, allow them to elaborate more than what was initially asked. Not only can they explain how often they communicate through email, but also why they choose this platform over others. It is not simply limited to just that, they can elaborate on mostly anything else they see fit. This also helps my research by giving it character and providing slightly more insight into the research that is being conducted. I feel that this is important because it is providing the research with depth.
I feel that the methodology I have chosen works very well with the research that I am conducting by giving it two faces. On one end of the spectrum it provides the reader with solid numerical evidence that may or may not provide useful. It also provides the qualitative data that, in a sense, provides that extra layer of validity that some almost require for the research to be considered valid. With the small sample size that I have chosen to go with, I think it is important that I collect as much data as possible, as it is not hard to process and organize. This also works because family members like to provide as much information as possible to help further along the study that is being conducted.
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