On the influence of gadgets on family relationships

The author of the article reflects on the problems of using of gadgets in the modern world. The development of information technology affects all spheres of people's lives, including changes in marital and child-parent relationships. The article examines modern literature and conducts a secondary analysis of research data from the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM), the All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM), etc., concerning the positive and negative aspects of the influence of digital technologies on family interaction. Attention is paid to the peculiarities of network behavior, online communication of parents and children, in particular to such problems as: gadget addiction (gadget addiction), i.e. uncontrolled use of gadgets; phubbing – the habit of immersing yourself in a gadget while talking with an offline interlocutor, etc. Gadgets become members of the family, “living creatures”, part of a family environment. Parents, on the one hand, try to control the gadget-child relationship, on the other hand, they themselves are immersed in gadgets, and also use them as a means of reward/punishment, thereby only increasing the value of the device in the eyes of the child. Being one of the most important attributes of the life of a modern person, gadgets are distinguished by functionality, mobility and almost continuous access to the Internet. They allow you to overcome the limitations of real contacts, uniting people living far from each other, helping to maintain contact with loved ones at a distance, combining work and raising children, gaining new knowledge, and shopping without leaving home. It would be wrong to assess the impact of gadgets on everyday practices, including family practices, on a “positive-negative” scale. “Gadgetization” is a complex process that requires close study.