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Impact of Modern Mass Media on Family Communication

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Impact of Modern Mass Media on Family Communication
Impact of Modern Mass Media on Family Communication

Affects Of the Internet on Family Dynamics

American society is changing rapidly. Individuals do not speak to one another. They use text messaging via cell phone, instant messaging, or the internet to communicate to one another. This new style of computer-mediated communication has taken its toll on the traditional American family. Teens are no longer interested face-to-face communication with family members, resulting in a disconnection in the tradition family dynamic.
Affects Of the Internet on Family Conflict
The internet serves as a new point of conflict in families. Young adults are using their computer expertise to disjoint parental authority. In many instances,
“Families are social systems characterized by a hierarchy of authority. The introduction of the computer has the potential to change that hierarchy as the adolescent becomes the family expert on whom other family members rely for technical advice and guidance.” (Mesch, 2006, August, P. 483).
The imbalance that parents experience as a result of being guided by their children often results in conflict. These conflicts generally result when an adolescent ignores or rejects parental authority when they are using the internet. This is highlighted as, “Most of these conflicts generate from young individuals spending too much time on the internet.” (Mesch, 2006, August, P. 480). This signifies how teens’ use of the internet has shifted the normal conflict between families. Internet usage has manipulated conventional hierarchies of parents with power to adolescents with power.
Affects of the Internet on Family Time
As young teens begin to both do homework and socialize on the internet, family time is reduced. Parents are now confronted with a new competitor of their child’s time. Most parents find this new media creating a void in their family’s closeness. “In fact, parents and adolescents worry that internet use might have a negative effect

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