Number 7: Lack of Communication
“The increasing abbreviation or near elimination of meaningful family member interaction.”
Cell phones, email, text messaging, instant messaging… there are more ways than ever to stay in touch. But family communication continues to be a challenge.
Combined with the forces of increased levels of activities and more and more options for entertainment, time together to ‘just talk’ ebbs further.
These growing influences do not limit the amount of communication neccessarily, but change the type of interaction that occurs. Rather than long stretches of time together in which issues have time to bubble to the surface, familes have more perfunctory exchanges of planning for times and places.
Instant access to children by cell phone offers a feeling of safety, but furthers the freedom to spend time among friends over family. Music players and game consoles further isolate boys to a personal soundspace or their rooms while young girls are spending hours at a time chatting online and forming virtual relationships at great risk.
The number 7 topic facing today’s family, as expressed by individuals from a range of backgrounds, is “Lack of Communication.”
