The central assertion against the intent of technology is that it has generally done more harm to the relationship between people and families. It is presumed that people are more inclined to be immersed in their phones at a dinner table instead of communicating with each other. While this may be true, it is not the full picture.
In a world that is experiencing a higher rate of mobility, migration and digital presence than ever, technology is doing more to bring families together than we care to admit.
Migration
The United Nations has reported that as of 2020, at least 281 million people were living outside the country of origin making that a total of 3.6% of the world’s population.
It is known that migration could have disruptive effects on a household, technology today exists to maintain a balance that could not be sustained without it.
While the traditional family dinner table may be out of the picture, families nowadays no longer have to depend on letter writing and holiday cards for updates in the lives of absent members. From WhatsApp family groups to video calls, people are utilizing technological innovations to create new family traditions.
Ref: https://twitter.com/akin_adesina/status/1398006334507864075?s=21
Family Traditions & Storytelling
Another exciting and heartwarming development is how family activities and social media challenges have brought intergenerational members of families together. We have young people having intergenerational photoshoots with their grand-parents and great-grand-parents, creating memories in still and video forms that outlive the elderly but serve as memento for the younger and the yet to be born.
Ref: https://twitter.com/stouzeofficial/status/1406726545130074117?s=21
Perhaps the dynamics have changed and the feeling of being able to physically reach out to touch members of a family, however families around the world are adjusting to the new realities and making the best of technology.
This is why it is crucial that perhaps the most crucial players in the family unit, mothers, do not miss out on this new wave. To this end, TIC Africa is pleased to announce that we have partnered with Mums Who Code on the DigitalWomen’s Bootcamp 2021 to train 60 mothers to code. Click here to read more.
