Families are Spending Less Time Together and More Time Online

What are your family’s computer-use habits? According to a new poll, families are spending less time with each other and more time online. The survey of over 2,000 people found that 28 percent reported spending less face-to-face time with family members -- nearly triple the numbers of people who said the same thing in a similar 2006 survey. The survey, conducted by the Annenberg Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California, also found a rise in the numbers of people feeling ignored by family members who use the internet, as well as an increase in concern that children are spending too much of their time online.

One possible culprit behind the erosion of family time may be the growing popularity of social networking sites, say researchers. Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace boast hundreds of millions of subscribers, and many are kids.

While social-networking, video chatting and other technological distractions are things parents usually don’t have to deal with until their kids hit their tweens and teens, it’s a good idea for parents of grade-school age children to set up some good habits now to prevent future problems.

For one thing, you can limit videogame, computer and TV time -- for yourself and your children -- so that tech time takes a backseat to family time. I’ve definitely encountered my share of grumbles about the time limits I’ve imposed on tech gadgets in my house. But when we get together and do something fun and active, the videogames are quickly forgotten. So grab a board game, or better yet, a kite or a ball, and go play with your kids! It’ll be fun for everyone.