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TECH NEWS
Families facing technology overload
Tue, 26 Sep 2009
Modern families worldwide are striving for equilibrium
in lives overloaded with technology, according to a
study released on Tuesday by internet search titan Yahoo
and OMD media firm.
Computing and communications devices had people cramming
an average of 43 hours' worth of activity into a typical
24-hour day by "multi-tasking", the survey concluded.
"Everybody multi-tasks," said Mike Hess of Omnicom
Group's OMD unit. "The theme we saw was that people were
looking for balance. Not wanting to give up cable
internet while wanting the kids to get out more."
"There was also a return to basic values such as having
dinner together, playing Monopoly or cards and taking
vacations where they could disconnect for a while."
Mexico, India and China had the highest multi-tasking
rates, respectively packing 46, 45 and 44 hours' worth
of tasks into standard days.
At the more relaxed end of the spectrum were France with
34 hours and South Korea with 33. The United States came
it at the average.
Typical "internet households" on the planet had nearly
11 electronic gadgets, Hess said.
The online survey was conducted during the summer and
involved 4783 respondents in 16 countries in Asia,
Europe, Australia and the Americas.
Responses painted a picture of modern families in which
men do the cooking, women work and children are kings of
home castles when it came to understanding technology,
said Yahoo vice president Michele Madansky.
"Family 2.0 isn't the Cleavers of the 1950s or the
futuristic Jetsons," Madansky said, mixing internet
jargon for the new-generation Web 2.0 internet with
references to classic television shows about small-town
America and space-age family life.
"Father doesn't always know best. He may not have a clue
about what MP3 player is the best value, but daughter
can be the expert because she spent time comparison
shopping prices and features online."
Division of expertise in houses has resulted in family
decisions regarding purchases and other matters becoming
more democratic, the survey indicated.
People credited e-mail, instant messaging and mobile
devices with bringing family members closer, whether
they be siblings living in different countries or
parents of moody teen-agers.
"A lot of moms said they had surly teenagers who won't
talk to them in person," Madansky said, "But over IM
(instant messaging) they have much more dialogue than
they ever would face-to-face."
More than half of those surveyed said that without
computer technology, they wouldn't be able to stay in
touch with friends or family.
Respondents credited the Internet with helping overcome
shyness and being a homework aid for school children.
The survey also revealed that modern culture was veering
from the tradition of "a family" consisting of a married
heterosexual couple with children.
Findings indicated that only 33 percent of US online
households were "married with children", while the
figures were 58 in China, 59 percent in India, and 57
percent in South Korea.
"Family 2.0 is two or more individuals that share
connections of the heart, mind and spirit," Madansky
told AFP.
"It could be same-sex couples, a step family, couples
getting together to have children and not getting
married — there are a lot variations. It is happening
more so in the Western countries."
Technology is the backdrop to the "changing landscape"
of modern families, Madansky said.
A challenge for marketers was to be pinpointing
influential members of homes when it came to purchases
and then get messages to them in ways that were
welcomed, Hess said.
"Marketers need to enhance people's lives instead of
interrupting them in the midst of a busy day," Madansky
said. "And develop tools to make things easier in their
lives."
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