The Impact of Digital Technologies on Family Values and Behaviors

The contemporary family is experiencing profound transformations as a result of the rapid development of digital technologies, which now shape patterns of communication, mechanisms of interaction, and sources of knowledge, and even extend their influence to guide behavior and form the value systems of family members. Although these technologies have contributed to strengthening connectedness and providing new spaces for interaction through digital platforms, they have simultaneously introduced gradual changes to traditional family values and affected the nature of intra-family relationships. This study seeks to explore the impact of digital technologies on the system of values and behaviors within the modern family, and to identify the features of the transformation brought about by digitalization in the structure of the family and the roles of its members. It focuses particularly on understanding how familial relationships and interactions are being reshaped within the new digital environment. The study is grounded in both the Theory of Technological Determinism—which posits that technological development is the driving force behind social and value change—and the Cultivation Theory, which explains how repeated media content shapes individuals’ perceptions, attitudes, and values. This research falls within descriptive studies and relies on the survey method as the most suitable approach for collecting and analyzing data in order to describe the phenomenon under investigation and analyze the attitudes of the sample regarding the impact of digital technologies on family values and behaviors. The study population consists of Egyptian youth who regularly use digital technologies, and participants were reached through digital platforms such as online links and email. The sample included 400 individuals aged between 18 and 35, selected through the available sampling method via electronic means. Data were collected using an electronic questionnaire as the primary tool for measuring the study variables, given its suitability for the nature of a sample that interacts in the digital environment. The findings confirmed the validity of the hypothesis that there is a statistically significant correlation between the level of digital technology use and its influence on family values and behaviors. The results also confirmed the hypothesis of a statistically significant positive relationship between the level of digital technology use and increased feelings of familial alienation. The study showed that the most prominent impact of digital technologies on family life is that each individual now has their own private world, and that these technologies have increased isolation and loneliness within the family. Moreover, the results indicated that the most significant impact on values is represented in the weakening of family cohesion and the decline of parents’ role as guides within the family. The study concluded that the most effective means of reducing the negative effects of digital technologies is establishing clear rules to regulate their use.