Family Bonding and The Detrimental Effects of Social Media on It

In this day and age, family bonding is more important than ever. As technology continues to advance and social media becomes more prevalent, it is easy to lose sight of the importance of spending quality time with our loved ones. That is why a family bonding essay is so necessary. We must remind ourselves of the value of connecting with our family members and the positive impact it can have on our lives. The dangers of social media and technology cannot be ignored, but we can take steps to limit their impact on our family time. By writing a family bonding essay, we can explore the benefits of spending time with family, share our experiences, and offer tips for others who are struggling to maintain strong family relationships. It is important to remember that while technology may make our lives easier, it cannot replace the warmth and love that comes from spending time with the people who matter most to us. A family bonding essay can serve as a reminder to prioritize family time and make the most of every moment we have together.

The Impact of Social Media on Family Connections and Its Negative Consequences

One of the most important reasons for the constant loss of family bonding time is how easy it is to access social media no matter where you are or what you're doing. The utilization and availability of cell phones have soared as of late, as an ever-increasing number of Americans now turn on their phones to access the Internet. The capacity to promptly get to the Internet while on the go marks a significant shift in the way we sign on. All the popular apps such as Snapchat, Instagram, and many more are just two clicks away when you have access to a cellular device. When your child is having a conversation with one of their best friends, liking Instagram posts, or even sending a silly picture back to a cute boy, they will have a disconnect from what is going on around them. Whether you are sitting at the dinner table, having a family game night, or just talking with family, the ease of access allows children to go on their phone and lose that connection that they could be having with their family, sacrificing that opportunity to connect with family and friends (Turkle, 2012).

Lack of Control Over Social Media Usage

One of the biggest reasons that social media is eliminating family bonding activities is due to the lack of control over children's usage. Family members always using their phones without control over them disrupts family interactions. Parents should decide what is appropriate for their kids and keep that at a fine point; this will bottleneck the children from using their phones during family activities. If your child is dependent, cut them off. A basic rule I hold to is that as a rule, when a kid can manage the cost of a gadget, they are likely capable enough to have it. However, parents need to model proper phone use. Start with what we can do: abandon our mobile phones, turn them off at supper time, and avoid pestering the children with endless questions. If we model restraint, perhaps our children will see it's possible (Livingstone & Helsper, 2008).

The Psychological Impact of Social Media

Lastly, the constantly repetitive everyday use of social media is making teens susceptible to cyberbullying and depression. At the point when individuals only associate with one another using online platforms and with no genuine connection, they may lose significant social skills and human bonding with each other. The ability to see others' photos, comments, and other personal information makes privacy a significant issue. People no longer have private lives, since everyone posts their information online where anyone could see it. In this day and age, privacy is a story of the past; personal information that was once shared with only a few selected friends is now available for colleagues and bosses to see. Social media has been linked to higher levels of loneliness, envy, anxiety, depression, narcissism, and diminished social skills. These outcomes doom relationships with family and relatives due to the nature of the subject being too depressed to function normally, opting out of family relations (Kross et al., 2013).

Conclusion

Family relationships today are being destroyed by the impediment of social media and cellular device usage. This will only continue to get worse if we don’t put the correct precautions in place to help eliminate this boundary crossing. Social media ruins family bonding because of the ease of access, lack of control, and negative effects on children and teens inside family environments. Taking conscious steps to mitigate these issues can help preserve the invaluable connections within our families.

References

• Turkle, S. (2012). Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. Basic Books.
• Livingstone, S., & Helsper, E. (2008). Parental mediation of children’s Internet use. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 52(4), 581-599.
• Kross, E., Verduyn, P., Demiralp, E., Park, J., Lee, D. S., Lin, N., ... & Ybarra, O. (2013). Facebook use predicts declines in subjective well-being in young adults. PloS one, 8(8), e69841.