Human Communication in a Digital Age: Perspectives on Interpersonal Communication in the Family

With the evolution of the digital era characterized by human-computer interaction, there has been a marked difference in the manner in which humans communicate. This revolution in patterns of communication from face-to-face interpersonal contact to human-machine communication is enabled by the affordances of technology. Using the family unit in Nigeria as a case study, this study examines the changes in one-on-one communication among family members, as a result of constant engagement with digital technologies. It conceptualizes the family as a unit comprising two or more persons living together who are related by blood, marriage, adoption or social affiliation. The survey research design was adopted, and structured questionnaires were administered on 370 respondents in the 37 local council development areas of Lagos state, south west Nigeria. Findings indicate that most family members lose interest in communicating interpersonally with each other due to constant engagement with technologies. The study also finds that reduced cues and non-self-disclosure often pulls family members apart rather than bringing them close together. Key recommendations include that strong family relationships should transcend the mere acquisition of digital competencies, tools and technologies. It suggests that the attributes at the core of humanness should not be lost as a result of constant engagement with communication technologies. Keywords: human communication, humanness, digital communication, communication devices, digital age. DOI: 10.7176/NMMC/78-0

Building equitable literate futures : home and school computer-mediated literacy practices and disadvantage

This paper examines the complex connections between literacy practices, the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and disadvantage. It reports the findings of a year-long study which investigated the ways in which four families use ICTs to engage with formal and informal literacy learning in home and school settings. The research set out to explore what it is about computer-mediated literacy practices at home and at school in disadvantaged communities that make a difference in school success. The findings demonstrate that the \u27socialisation\u27 of the technology - its appropriation into existing family norms, values and lifestyles - varied from family to family. Having access to ICTs at home was not sufficient for the young people and their families to overcome the so-called \u27digital divide\u27. Clearly, we are seeing shifts in the meaning of \u27disadvantage\u27 in a globalised world mediated by the use of new technologies. New definitions of disadvantage that take account not only of access to the new technologies but also include calibrated understandings of what constitutes the access are required. The article concludes that old inequalities have not disappeared, but are playing out in new ways in the context of the networked society.<br /

Using Information and Communication Technologies for Family Communication and Its Association With Family Well-Being in Hong Kong: FAMILY Project

Background: Family communication is central to the family and its functioning. It is a mutual process in which family members create, share, and regulate meaning. Advancement and proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) continues to change methods of family communication. However, little is known about the use of different methods for family communication and the influence on family well-being. Objective: We investigated the sociodemographic factors associated with different methods of family communication and how they are associated with perceived family harmony, happiness, and health (3Hs) among Chinese adults in Hong Kong. Methods: Data came from a territory-wide probability-based telephone survey using the Family and Health Information Trend survey (FHInTs). Frequency of family communication using different methods (ie, face-to-face, phone, instant messaging [IM], social media sites, and email) were recoded and classified as frequent (always/sometimes) and nonfrequent (seldom/never) use. Family well-being was measured using 3 questions of perceived family harmony, happiness, and health with higher scores indicating better family well-being. Adjusted odds ratios for family communication methods by sociodemographic characteristics and adjusted beta coefficients for family well-being by communication methods were calculated. Results: A total of 1502 adults were surveyed. Face-to-face (94.85%, 1408/1484) was the most frequent means of communication followed by phone (78.08%, 796/1484), IM (53.64%, 796/1484), social media sites (17.60%, 261/1484), and email (13.39%, 198/1484). Younger age was associated with the use of phone, IM, and social media sites for family communication. Higher educational attainment was associated with more frequent use of all modes of communication, whereas higher family income was only significantly associated with more frequent use of IM and email (P=.001). Face-to-face (beta 0.65, 95% CI 0.33-0.97) and phone use (beta 0.20, 95% CI 0.02-0.38) for family communication were associated with significantly higher levels of perceived family well-being. Conclusions: Socioeconomic disparities in using these information and communication technologies (ICT) methods for family communication were observed. Although traditional methods remain as the main platform for family communication and were associated with better family well-being, a notable proportion of respondents are using new ICT methods, which were not associated with perceived family well-being. Because ICTs will continue to diversify modes of family communication, more research is needed to understand the impact of ICTs on family communication and well-being.published_or_final_versio

The simplification of complex interactions for more inclusive social communication technologies (position paper)

New technologies, especially smart homes and mobile and ubiquitous technologies have the potential to foster improved quality of life in the older population. Some anticipated benefits are linked to specific applications in areas such as home automation, communication, shopping and health. However, some valuable potential benefits lie in building and sustaining relationships with remote extended family, particularly children and grandchildren, as well as with carers, neighbours and friends. Communication with geographically remote family can play an important role in helping to sustain autonomy, inclusion and independence. Reduction in isolation and improved participation have the potential to improve or sustain quality of life, but in addition they can lead to a reduction in vulnerability and sustained physical health. Another benefit can be to reassure adult children about the viability of their parent's independent living. Broadband "always-on" communications are potentially particularly useful tools in sustaining geographically remote relationships with extended family, as they can support many useful kinds of interaction, using modalities such as voice, video, pervasive annotation, selection, and remote concierging. Unfortunately, many possible new interactions are currently complex to manage, ruling them out on grounds of poor acceptability, accessibility and usability. However, our hypothesis is that a new interaction framework that combines social and technical components could be used to simplify many interactions of the kinds noted above sufficiently to the point where they would be rendered acceptable, accessible and usable. This paper outlines plans to test such a framework

Information and Communication Technologies and Migration

Surveying existing literature, this paper starts by identifying links between attainments in human development and the presence of ICTs. The research then looks at instances where ICTs affect the opportunity for migration and how they affect its outcomes. We will see how migrants are making use of ICTs and the importance that these technologies have come to occupy in their life. Attempting to illustrate both positive and negative implications of the roles of ICTs in human mobility, this paper surveys research that demonstrates how ICTs are used in both regular and irregular migration, in maintaining family relations, in sustaining cultural identities, and in supporting a family from abroad. We will see that ICTs have not replaced older forms of communication but that they have greatly increased the range of available options for communications. Throughout the text, this paper also includes the roles of governments and civil society in working to increase access and use of ICTs while also making mention of instances where they actively pursue the opposite. As we will see, the skills necessary for use of ICTs and the infrastructure necessary for their access can be found in all countries of the world, albeit in unequal distribution.information and communication technologies, diaspora, migration

Caderneta electrónica: visão de professores e encarregados de Educação de Alunos do Ensino Básico da Galiza

This research here described explores the first phase of a research project whose aim is to introduce a new form of collaboration and communication among the Family and School through an Electronic Booklet (EB), in Spain, in the Galician schools. The EB appears to meet the growing needs of collaboration between the school and the family, promoting the teaching learning process and educational success, supported by the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Through a questionnaire we sought to obtain the perceptions of teachers and parents regarding the adoption of an EB. Both groups stressed the importance of communication between the school and the family and expressed interest in EB, as bidirectional communication tool

Transitions across work-life boundaries in a connected world: the case of social entrepreneurs

Information and communication technologies (ICTs), including mobile technologies, have significant implications for the management of work-life balance (WLB) (e.g. Perrons, 2003) and thus for sustainable work practices within organizations and society at large. Boundary theory (Clark, 2000) argues that individuals maintain boundaries between role identities (e.g. parent, worker) within different social domains (e.g. family, work), and that they regularly have to transition between these domains. WLB may reflect the effectiveness of this transitioning. ICTs have significant implications for the management of these boundaries, particularly as they open up new areas for interaction through mobility and through the potential provision of a variety of easily available connections. In this paper, we report on the findings of 15 social entrepreneurs’ video and interview data. In particular, we explore and advance understanding of the individual experience of switching between roles and domains in relation to ICT use and connectivity

Changing cultural pathways through gender role and sexual development: A theoretical framework

Greenfield's theory linking sociodemographic change to dynamic cultural values for family interdependence versus individual independence is applied to sexual and gender role socialization and development. The theory explains how cultural pathways for sexual and gender-role development transform in concert with sociodemographic changes: urbanization, formal schooling, capitalism, and communication technologies. As environments become more urban, commercial, and technological, with more opportunities for formal education, sexual development moves away from the ideals of procreation and family responsibility and toward the ideals of personal pleasure and personal responsibility. At the same time, gender-role development moves away from the ideals of complementary and ascribed gender roles and toward chosen and equal gender roles. We present psychological, anthropological, and sociological evidence for these trends in a variety of communities undergoing social and ecological change. © 2014 by the American Anthropological Association

Information technology for grandparents and grandchildren

In a global and technology society, new technologies often represent an exclusion factor for the elderly population, unlike what happens with the digital natives. By contrast, young people today are fluent in the language of the new digital technologies. Information Technologies and Communication (ICT) can be key elements to bring different generations and promote the strengthening of family ties and sharing experiences. In this context, TINA project (Information Technology for Grandparents and Grandchildren) whose main aim is to promote family cohesion between grandchildren and grandparents through the ICT including through the Internet. It presents a pilot experiment involving two groups of grandparents and grandchildren in the district of Bragança, Portugal, in 2010. Apart from living promoted by the ICT, participants were trained in basic ICT skills and participated in workshops on the use of communication/interaction technologies between grandparents and grandchildren. The project culminated with the completion of a contest based on webquests before the Grandparents day

Separated Household? Effects of Personalized Communication Devices on Nigerian Families’ Communication Pattern

In recent times with the emergence of newer communication technologies, concerns are raised over the possible alterations in family patterns of communication and interactions. This study using survey research methodology investigated the effects of new personalized communication devices (NPCD) on family communication patterns. 400 respondents were randomly selected from families in urban cities in South East Nigeria. Findings show that majority of individual family members own NPCDs with most possessing mobile/smart phones. The result shows that these families have high internet connectivity yet face to face/domestic conversation still appears to be the dominant and the preferred mode of communication within the family units. The result demonstrated a high level of interactivity as family members indicate spending a great number of hours interacting with mostly friends using these devices. Though the study significantly revealed that there is no noticeable alteration in family bond, family communication pattern seems to be altered from collectivist communication orientation to a more individualistic pattern owing to the solitary nature of these devices. Again, effects are still minimal and concentrated in urban areas especially among families that are educated and affluent. We conclude that with the invention of more sophisticated personalized communication devices there will be a rapid incursion into other sections of the Nigerian society and family communication may develop on unpredictable pattern that will lead to a complex communication pattern where these devices enhance communication and connections with family members and at the same time, create individualistic communication pattern. Keywords: New Personalized Communication Devices (NPCD); Family; Integration and Separation; Family communication; Family Dynamics