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Review of Articles on the Relation between Technology and Family Dynamics,

Henok Melesse Worku

School of Psychology, Addis Ababa University

PsyD 501: Seminar in Family Dynamics

Emebet Mulugeta (PhD)

Dec 2024
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Table of Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 3

Problem the Studies has Tried to Address....................................................................................... 3

Methodologies those Studies have been Used ................................................................................ 4

Study Findings with Regard to Impacting Family Dynamics (Challenges and Opportunities) ..... 5

Current State of the Situation in our Context.................................................................................. 6

Recommended Research Type to be Undertaken ........................................................................... 7

Reference ........................................................................................................................................ 8
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Introduction

These days, technological development and accessibility is accelerating and affecting many

aspects of our surroundings. Such as simple accessibility of electronics, ways of communication

and communication tools, and getting of internet access in the home setting and so on. These all

are the result of rapid development of technology around the world. So this technological

advancements have different impacts in different ways on our surrounding’s and day to day

activities and also on family dynamics.

Family dynamics refer to the patterns of interactions among relatives, their roles and

relationships, and the various factors that shape their interactions. Because family members rely

on each other for emotional, physical, and economic support, they are one of the primary sources

of relationship security or stress. Secure and supportive family relationships provide love, advice,

and care, whereas stressful family relationships are burdened with arguments, constant critical

feedback, and time-consuming demands (Gunn, Eberhardt, 2019).

In order to demonstrate the impact of technology on family dynamics, this article review

aims to present the findings of three studies: The Effects of Social Media Use on Family

Relationships, The Influence of Media Usage on Family Functioning, and The Impact of

Technology on Family Communication.

Problem the Studies has Tried to Address

To make it easier to follow, the core objective of the studies is included beneath each title in this

section.
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The influence of media usage on family functioning

 The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of media usage by parents and young

children on family functioning.

Effects of social media use on family relationships

 Discover whether social media is beneficial or detrimental to family relationships and

communication.

 Explore the relationship between social media and social contact between families

 Determine the extent in which social media fosters healthy communication

The impact of technology on family communication

 Whether families with a high conversation orientation are more open to the use of

technology in communication compared to families that are more conformity-oriented.

 Explore how this communication orientation impacts the quality of relationships and

emotional bonds within families, both through digital and face-to-face communication.

Methodologies those Studies have been Used

The influence of media usage on family functioning

The researchers in this study analyze the research data using oblimin rotation under factor

analysis. Additionally, percentile analysis was used to recruit individuals and divide them into four

groups. Another aspect of this study is that the researcher assessed the family condition based on

family functioning using the Faces-Iv family functioning assessment tool.

Effects of social media use on family relationships

In this study, the snowball sampling approach is used with the correlational survey design

study method. Additionally, in order to get information from the participants in this study, the

researchers employ an 8-point Likert scale.

The impact of technology on family communication

In this study, five families in an urban location are the subjects of this qualitative case study,

which uses observational data collecting and interviews. Additionally, the family communication

pattern theory technique is used to arrange the data that is obtained regarding impact of technology

on family communication.

Study Findings with Regard to Impacting Family Dynamics (Challenges and

Opportunities)

The influence of media usage on family functioning

 Results show that the families in which parents showed high levels of media usage and

allowed a high level of usage to their children show also higher levels of disengagement

and rigidity than the other families.

Effects of social media use on family relationships

 The findings of this study suggest social media does have influence on families and family

relationships.

 No significant relationships were found between an overall negative attitude on social

media’s effect on family relationships and gender, ethnicity, educational attainment or

employment status.

 The findings of this study suggest that younger adults, compared to older adults, perceive

social media as having mostly a positive, yet nuanced, effect on their family and family

interactions.
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The impact of technology on family communication

 The impact of technology on family communication families with a high conversation

orientation tend to use technology to strengthen emotional connectedness, while families

with a high conformity orientation are more cautious in using technology, because they are

worried about its impact on traditional values and parental control.

 Technology is also found to play a role in resolving family conflicts, but in some cases, it

causes technoference or disruption in face-to-face communication.

Current State of the Situation in our Context

It is now estimated that 7.05 million Ethiopians utilize social media. This number excludes

the population group that is unable to set up a social media account on their own. Different age

groups in families, however, use technology for a variety of reasons, such as work, enjoyment,

information gathering, and—most interestingly—reducing the distraction of youngsters. They

have a lengthy wait time with technology as a result.

This extended use of technology affects the dynamics of the family in one way or another.

Excessive use of technology negatively affects family relationships, communication, and function,

according the research findings cited above.

The aforementioned facts and study findings indicate that excessive technology use has an

effect on family dynamics, and Ethiopia has a large population of social media users. In particular,

the data above does not identify technology users who do not utilize social media. However,

children under the age of four use technology in their homes, including televisions, various mobile

games, and other gadgets. Elderly family members are crucial in helping youngsters use

technology, and they do so for a variety of reasons, such as reducing the amount of destruction that
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kids cause in the home. Therefore, research is necessary to determine the true impact of social

media on family dynamics in this nation.

Recommended Research Type to be Undertaken

 Parental involvement in other family members' excessive use of technology

 Contributing factors to family members' preference for technology over interpersonal

communication

 Potential reasons why kids younger than four are more drawn to technology

 The influence of family dynamics on family members' prolonged use of technology

Reference

Gunn HE, Eberhardt KR. “Family Dynamics in Sleep Health and Hypertension. Curr Hypertens

Rep. 2019 Apr 13;21(5):39. [PMC free article] [PubMed]

Joneé B. Watt. ( 2016),”Effects of Social Media Use on Family Relationships”, A graduate project

submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements For the degree of Master of Social Work

Romi syahril, P. Priatna, Azhar Hutomo, Sri Wulandari. (2024), “The Impact of Technology on

Family Communication”, https://doi.org/10.52970/grdis.v4i2.754

Tindara Caprì, Maria Cristina Gugliandolo, Giancarlo Iannizzotto, Andrea Nucita, Rosa Angela

Fabio1. (2019),”The influence of media usage on family functioning”,

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00204-1.