Technology and Social Media Can Help AND Hurt the Traditional Family Dynamic

The traditional family dynamic has changed immensely over the past 30 years; arguably due to the rapid technological developments society has seen. Social media has been the pivotal key to changes in the family dynamic as well as other modern advancements.

Social media has proven to be a strong enough of a force to cause major depression in teens. 

The amount of teenagers who have described themselves as being depressed has doubled in the last thirty years, the rising prevalence of the Internet and the increased divorce rate throughout that time is not a coincidence.

Source: technologyspace.weebly.com/hailee-barron

Researchers have developed a theory of a new phenomenon called “Facebook depression,” which is defined as "depression that develops when preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites, such as Facebook, and then begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression." Social contact and interactions are a crucial aspect of children's development. The intensity of social media networks has consumed many adolescents to the point where they begin to experience a level of isolation. Their "Facebook depression" can become increasingly dangerous as they turn to self-help blogs that actually are promoting self-destructive behaviors. 

Facebook depression can stem from combination of feelings stirred up from using social media sites. The main culprit comes from the inherent insecurities adolescents have. Preteens and teens are going to constantly be comparing themselves to others, whether it be celebrities or their friends. It is not simply on looks either, they will compare their whole lives to others. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more are mediums for people to brag about their lives. A young girl may be on her Instagram feed and see another girl whom she is jealous of with her boyfriend on vacation. Not only is the girl jealous of the other's bikini physique, she is jealous of the relationship, affection, and even the fact that she is on vacation. When one is being flooded with images like this on not only a daily basis, but on an hourly basis. 

Common symptoms of depression include isolating oneself from friends a family and temperamental behavior, both of which can easily drive a wedge between parents and young-adults.

Parents are becoming increasingly more comfortable with modern technology allowing them to bond with their children.

22% of teens log onto social media sites at least 10 times a day, and it may come as a surprise to learn that about 37% of internet-using parents are checking their social network pages more than once a day. Almost half of parents on Facebook, specifically, have their children on their friend's list. These statistics don't just prove parents' technological abilities, but it shows that they are interacting with their children on a medium their kids enjoy.

A recent University of Kansas study found that parents who actively use Facebook, texting, and other forms of technological communication experience much better relationships with their children than parents who just communicate via phone calls. This strengthened relationship is often due to adolescents constant multitasking. They cannot actively focus on Facebook or be texting another friend if they are talking on the phone with their parent. However, a parent can be added into their constant network of communications if they join the social media sites their kids frequent. 

Statistics reported by Pew Research Center

Additionally, parents are using sites, such as Facebook, to seek out parenting advice. Over 50% of parents on Facebook have asked a parenting question or received emotional support because of a parenting issue via Facebook communications. Just shy of 50% of parents have also found useful parenting advice posted on social media sites. Not only are parents using social media to interact with their kids, but the sites are also serving as an outlet for parents to further improve their relationships with children and their parenting skills.

(Was given extension on video interviews. Depending on my interviewee's answer, I will put my first video clip at the end of this paragraph or at the end of the Facebook depression segment. The question I am asking is "In what way has reproductive technology positively or negatively affected relationships?")

Social media abuse in the form of cyber bullying or extramarital affairs will quickly lead to the destruction of a family. 

Source: adweek.com

Bullying has always been an issue, especially amongst children. With the prevalence of social media, it is inevitable for it to have migrated to that platform. It is much easier to bully someone without face-to-face interaction, it also allows for crueler
messages that may have been withheld in a physical confrontation.

A quarter of teens have been the victims of cyber bullying, while two-thirds have witnessed it, often saying nothing. What is most horrible for a family, however, is that only 10% of parents are aware that it is happening. Cyber bullying is a common cause of depression in young adults, and without a parent's knowledge they may not be able to provide the help or support that their child would need.

However, children are not the only victims of online abuse. A recent survey found that in recent years, 81% of divorce lawyers report a large increase in social network related divorces. Facebook is now one of the leading sources of evidence alluding to a partner's extramarital affair in divorce cases. Another study found a positive correlation between social media use and martial unhappiness.

Social media not only gives spouses more opportunities and temptations to cheat, but it also gives larger risks of being caught. The victim in a cheating marriage can often discover Facebook conversations or text messages between their partner and someone else, giving them substantial evidence to their infidelity.

(I will include second video clip here with interviewee answering question: "How has the prevalence of social media affected modern marriages?"

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) provides non-traditional family's opportunities to conceive creating a new normal family dynamic. 

Source: Experian Public

Recent technologies with artificial insemination have provided a way for non-heterosexual couples to have children of their own DNA. Gay and lesbian couples can use eggs and sperm and donors to make a baby, and even possibly hire a surrogate to carry the child if they are unable to. 

Today, about one-third of LGBT parents are expecting a child. With gay marriage only recently being federally recognized, this is fairly new expectation of LGBT couples. It was also only in March of this year that it became legal for health insurance to financially support same-sex couples in IVF treatment costs. Many LGBT couples may not have had the opportunity to create their own family until now, and this technology creates a new normal for a traditional family dynamic than has been seen in the past.

(I will include final interview clip where I ask the question: In what way has reproductive technology positively or negatively affected relationships?)

Antifeminists threaten numerous opposers of Gamergate; an internet war focused on misogyny in video games.

Gamergate Logo. Source: emblemsbf.com

Gamergate, although not quite a household term, shines a beacon of light on the still ever present issue of modern day misogyny. Gamergate is, as the Washington Post puts it, an “internet cultural war,” centered on sexism in video games. On one side of Gamergate you find Anita Sarkeesian, a feminist media critic, and Zoe Quinn and Brianna Wu, both independent game developers. On the other side, you find hundreds of anonymous Internet users who can only be described as antifeminists.

Anita Sarkeesian.
Source: Tropes vs. Women in Video Games

Antifeminists and misogynists are the gamer archetypes that fuel the harassment that comes with Gamergate. Modern video games are known for, as Rated M for Mature Matthew Wysocki and Evan Lauteria puts it, underdressing and over-sexing female characters. Anita Sarkeesian is credited for addressing the misogynist undertones of video game in her web series “Tropes vs. Women In Video Games.” Once Gamergate began to draw media attention, Sarkeesian voiced her opposition towards it, making her a new target.

The targets for Gamergate have expanded and are receiving the same threats of death and rape.

Zoe Quinn. Source: The Guardian

The original target of Gamergate is Zoe Quinn. Quinn is an independent game developer who created the browser game “Depression Quest.” The game received positive reviews in the media, but was met with backlash by gamers who believed it did not deserve the acclaim. Eventually, these gamers created an online harassment campaign which then developed into “Gamergate.” This was just the beginning of many months of numerous death and rape threats directed at Quinn.

The harassment spread to Sarkeesian after a release of new episode of her web series. She too received death and rape threats. She eventually had to cancel an upcoming event at Utah State University after the school had gotten three anonymous threats; one that cited gamergate, and other that cited a previous antifeminism fueled mass shooting.

Source: Twitter

As Gamergate’s following grew, a new target was selected. Brianna Wu, an independent game designer like Zoe Quinn, had her home address posted online for any gamergate supporters to follow through with the numerous death and rape threats. The threats became so serious that she was forced to flee her home.

In a two month time frame, more than 2 million tweets have been sent out using the hashtag #gamergate. Social media analytics company BandWatch sampled 25% of the tweets and discovered that in that two month period, Zoe Quinn received 10,400 tweets with the hashtag. Despite being the source of inception for Gamergate however, her numbers are only one third the amount of tweets Sarkeesian and Wu got during that time. Sarkeesian received 35,188 tweets while Wu received 38,952 tweets. These numbers only further justify how out of hand Gamergate has grown to be. 

Zoe Quinn is capitalizing on her harassment by writing a book about her Gamergate experience. The book hasn't been released yet but is already in the talks to receive a film adaptation.

Crash Override: How To Save The Internet From Itself is the title of Quinn's upcoming memoir to be published by Simon & Schuster publishing. The book isn't expected to be released until September 2016, but Sony has already purchased the film rights to the book, with Scarlett Johansson slated to star as Quinn. In her proposal for the book, Quinn stated that "Gaming and internet message boards used to be niche interests, mostly for young men. In the past few years, however, they've gone mainstream." Her proposal supports the massive attention Gamergate has received and the large amount of contributors to it.

The severity of Gamergate's attacks have gone as far as falsely accusing Gamergate opposer Veerender Jubbal for terrorism.

Jubbal Photoshopped, Left. Real Image, Right.
Source: The Guardian

Veerender Jubbal is a Canadian journalist and games critic who is also a known Gamergate opposer. Jubbal is also a practicing Muslim who wears a turban. After the tragedy of the attacks in Paris occurred on Friday, a Gamergate supporter photoshopped an image of Jubbal to make him appear as a terrorist. The image became so viral that popular Madrid newspaper, La Razón, posted the image stating he was a prime suspect for the attacks. The altered image added a suicide vest and a Qur'an to Jubbal's photo. After La Razón realized their mistake, they quickly retracted the article and apologized, but the damage was done. The image had stretched farther than before and Jubbal was being coined as a terrorist around the world, despite being a Canadian who has never even visited France. Jubbal's response to the cyber attack was a tweet stating: "Gamers are absolute garbage like I have been saying for a full year. People will not stop harassing me and bothering me."

Jubbal is only the most recent victim of Gamergate attacks. Between the threats of death and rape, and the accusations of terrorism, it is clear the Gamergate supporters are dangerous with a large enough support to make international impact.