It is true that spending quality time with family is less and less popular in many nations. This could be attributed to several factors and it could affect a human’s mental health and family relationship.
There are two main reasons contributing to the shift away from family gathering, chief of which is that people need to devote considerable time to their competitive job field. Given the growing population while the amount of jobs stays relatively unchanged, most workers are forced to burn out to adapt to the high possibility of unemployment as they can be fired or replaced by anyone at any time. Therefore, it may be draining for them to keep contact with society, even their family. Added to this fact is the high popularity of false assumptions about independence, in which relying on families is considered weak or unsuccessful. This can be seen in the case of Bill Gates, even though he is the founder of a famous brand thanks to his tremendous effort, people always attribute his success to his wealthy family.
The lack of family time does not only affect the family relationship, but also has a detrimental effect on an individual’s mental health. Regarding the former, the family members are likely stressed to overthink about not being contacted for such a long time, especially the old ones who always looks forward to family gatherings to strengthen their bond together. This is because they don’t or just have little updates from their offsprings, which gives rise to invisible barriers due to lack of in-depth understanding of each other. Similarly, being deprived of care support, one can feel isolated from their beloved and end up being depressed, which may last forever without proper care from family – the one they need the most. Evidence of this can be seen in a high proportion of students studying abroad getting mental problems every year, at around 70% of them in this status quo.
In conclusion, due to the competitive characteristics of today’s job market, in addition to spreading misconception of people about independence, less time is spent together with the family. These can lead to distance in family relationships and an individual’s mental health.