Is Technology Fracturing Your Family?

Here is a good article posted in Psychology Today about a year ago.

“Laptops, PDAs, iPods, smart phones and other technological gadgets seem to be taking over our pockets and purses with no end in sight. But could they be altering our families and affecting the way we interact with each other? Investigators at the University of Minnesota found that traditional family meals have a positive impact on adolescent behavior. In a 2006 survey of nearly 100,000 teenagers across 25 states, a higher frequency of family dinners was associated with more positive values and a greater commitment to learning. Adolescents from homes having fewer family dinners were more likely to exhibit high-risk behaviors, including substance abuse, sexual activity, suicide attempts, violence, and academic problems.”