Final Essay

New Communication Technologies: Keeping the Family Unit and Communities in touch.

In the 1980’s it was postcards, aerogrammes and phone calls, the 90’s saw the emergence of email and now in the mid 2000’s, more sophisticated communication technologies such as instant messaging with webcams, blogging, and interactive social network sites such as Myspace and Facebook and have emerged.

With the world’s population moving around so much, the traditional family unit is becoming more disjointed geographically. Is this causing a gradual breakdown in family & local communities or are these new forms of communication overcoming the tyranny of distance and maintaining, or even enhancing existing ties with family and friends?

In Australia, an ever increasing percentage of singles, couples and whole families move either interstate in search of work or overseas for careers, education or extended travel. Looking at statistics on population movement within Australia, results indicate that growth in work available as a result of the mining boom (ABS, 2007) has prompted many singles and/or families to relocate to northern WA or northern QLD (Hugo, 2002). Most of these people are coming from the South Eastern states of Victoria and NSW. Conversely, Australia is experiencing high levels of immigration, with 51% of the population growth in 2005-06 coming from overseas migration (ABS, 2006). This movement gives Australia it’s diverse multiculturalism (IbisWorld, 2007), and many new Australian families have provided comfort to their friends and wider families back home by keeping in touch at least by regular email or more recently with a personal internet presence.

This population movement is not limited to Australia. In 2006, the Population Reference Bureau, a government sponsored organisation researching and analyzing the world’s population, reported that 3% of world population is made up of International migrants (PRD, 2006). A study by the University of Calgary found that the computer is helping migrants to “maintain ties with both their homeland and others in diaspora”. This paper states that migrants are using the internet to research their prospective new home, establishing contacts once they have arrived and staying connected to those they have left behind (Hiller, 2004).

The new technologies are making it easier for users to put content onto the web, for the purpose of sharing information, stories, photos, etc with their friends and family. It is, however, the greatly improved access to the internet that has allowed the world’s transient population to maintain their digital presence. Internet hotspots are becoming available through commercial enterprises such as McDonald’s Family restaurants (B&T, 2007), public libraries (QLD Gov, 2007) and local councils (Sydney Morning Herald, 2006). With a laptop, anyone can now connect to the internet without being tied to a desk or landline. Users can simply pull up a seat in a café or park and connect to the internet through the wireless network. Recent TV advertising has shown users with their laptops on beaches, in the countryside or as depicted by Telstra, during their overland trip in the ‘combie’.

The increasing number of internet cafes around the globe is also making it easier for both travelers and business people to stay connected. Adding to the list of access points, many other commercial retailers such as computer retailers, photographic stores and coffee shops are now offering internet access for a nominal fee. An internet café in South East England was the focus of research into the use of the internet in public places (Lee, 1999). The study looks at the demographics of users of public internet access. It was determined that 86% percent of the participants were regular users and at least one third had internet access at home. Most were travellers, backpackers or businessmen away from their usual place of work. With internet cafes available in most cities the use of these communication technologies has allowed the traveler, whether recreational or commercial, to stay connected to their respective communities.
Studies have also shown that the internet is proving to be a benefit to socially excluded community groups. These include lower socio-economic groups, the elderly, ethnic groups and the intellectually disadvantaged (Mission Australia, 2001). One study commissioned by Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, states that 82% of socially excluded participants were regular email users compared to 72% of the general public. The study also states that these groups use the internet for general information and communication on interactive sites more than the average UK population. (Greater London Authority, 2003).

The Australian Bureau of Statistics census of 2006 also highlights the internet in regards to indigenous Australians. ABS (2006) reported that up to 54% of indigenous people residing in Major Cities had internet access; however this is reduced to only 8% in very remote regions. Data in this census indicates that the lower percentage of connectivity in regional areas is due to lower education levels as up to 92% of indigenous postgraduates are using the internet regardless of location.

Business communities are also benefiting from these new communication technologies by utilizing more of the communication services available. Email has been widely used by the business world for most of the last decade. However, today’s internet offers a larger range of communication services. Long-distance phone calls, video calls and faxes are all now available through the internet greatly reducing company overhead including phone bills. The practice of faxing via the internet also offers greater privacy by sending faxes directly to the receiver’s desktop instead of being left in the fax ‘IN tray’ for all to see. (Page, 1998)

Studies into Online Communities have also highlighted the various uses and benefits of the internet to the wider community. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, relevant internet sites, forums and chat rooms provided support for 33% of American internet users (Horrigan, 2001). Following such broad reaching tragedies as this attack, the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004 and The Bali Bombings in 2002, having the opportunity to talk to others that have shared the experience, can help people get their lives back together. This study further states that these online communities are continuing their role in connecting and supporting people that have suffered because of these events and many others.

The paper also refers to Sociologist Barry Wellman who indicates that the internet is offering many new forms of socialisation through “glocalization” (global localisation) allowing users to share their interests and passions with people all over the globe irrespective of distance. Contrary to earlier beliefs, the internet is helping local communities stay together rather than pull them apart. The sharing of information by email, bulletin boards and community websites ensures that all community members stay connected. Local communities using the internet regularly include church groups, political organisations and local business communities (Horrigan, 2001). Statistics presented by this study show that “online communities have spurred connections to strangers and to people of different racial, ethnic and economic backgrounds”. This not only broadens people’s knowledge about the world and its people, but will hopefully lead to a greater understanding of different cultures and beliefs and help to combat racism caused by ignorance.

Aside from all the above positive attributes of the internet and its communication services, the internet can have a negative effect on human psychology. Internet flame wars (hostile insulting and non-constructive postings) have seen people, who would normally score high on kindliness, become quite aggressive and do things that they would “consider quite uncharacteristic.” (Wallace, 1999) Further study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh found that prolonged use of the internet could lead to addiction and problems similar to those suffered by problem gamblers, alcoholics and those with eating disorders. These issues affect users financially, personally and even physically. (Young, 1996)

When looking into the effects of the internet on personality types, a group of American Psychologists concluded that Internet use leads to loneliness (Kraut, Patterson, Lundmark, Kiesler, Mukopdahyay and Scherlis, 1998). However since this time further study has shown that rather than the internet causing loneliness, it has become a source of information and support for those that already suffer from loneliness. With the wide and varied amount of information on the internet, this may offer comfort and support to those suffering from loneliness. However much of the information in not verifiable or many users are unaware of the validity issues surrounding this information.

This essay has sought answers to the question of the internet and the positive or negative effects on families and the community. The emergence of interactive social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook has made it easier for users to put their own content on the web, and to share ideas, information, music and images. This is not only connecting users to new people, but allowing them to keep in touch and up to date with friends, family and their local community. Business communities are also benefiting from the technology through the wide and varied services including online phone calls and video calls. While the internet may pose a threat of negative psychological effects to some personality types, it is clear that the internet also strongly benefits communities through ease of, and access to, communication services.

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