Nowadays, it is common sense that an acquired an established truth that human beings concurrently have two different existences: the real material one and the virtual online one. Although it would be easy to claim that using technologies devices – like smartphones, tablets with their apps and connection to internet – to enjoy leisure time, to communicate and to stay safe at home, has had many upsides for families, it should be considered downsides too.
To begin with, is it really safe and healthy the use of technologies to kill time? Undoubtedly new machinery have given people several ways of leisure: from reading newspapers, books to watching TV series, films, documentaries going throughout playing videogames on streaming, making taking photographs, drawing. Even though people can practice all On the other hand, these activities with their relatives, these same hobbies can make people to stay at home, to lead a mostly sedentary life with its own negative effect on people’s health.
Yet another double-faced aspect of impact on families is that even if these days communications between relatives are easier than in the past, at the same time even modern smartwatches, with their alarm and push notices, draw away anyone from the “here and now” of the reality to move on the virtual one, as a kind of anxiety to be omnipresent. Even this constant connection felt as compulsory damages health, especially mental health, and social relationships, causing for instance alienation, anxiety disturbs disorders, depression.
Besides, we can not observe must not miss noting how internet Wi-Fi connections, GSM, GPS and so on have reshaped family security, especially for elderly and youngest relatives. A myriad of cams, alarm buttons, cradle sensors, can be put everywhere at home or around the home to protect families from assaults. To not mention sensors for cardiac or blood glucose monitoring, and so on that can be on someone’s to preserve health. On the other hand, of course today more than yesterday there is increasingly a question of confidentiality of the data and information collected by these instruments.
So, all things considered above, I can not agree more with the claim that family life has improved due to been improved by advances in technology, but at the same times we must take note of the equally profound negative effects.