Before the worldwide introduction of the internet, there was more communication among members of large families. They would sit together at meals and talk to each other. There were no disputes while discussing different topics and people were happy. At home, there would be one radio to listen to the news or songs from popular films. When the television was introduced into households, members of the family would spend time watching different programs. As a result, communication between family members was slightly affected, but they would still sit together to watch a certain program.
At present, most people, especially children, have ignored all these forms of communication as most members of the family have mobile phones. There is no communication inside the house as most members are busy communicating with people outside the house, through the use of handheld devices. With respect to watching television, each member uses his or her mobile to watch their preferred programs. They spend most of their time chatting with close friends or even strangers on the internet from early in the morning until midnight and sometimes even forget to eat meals.
It is funny that members of the family would choose to isolate themselves and are so preoccupied with the internet that they do not even hear the landline ringing. It is possible that the person on the other end of the line is a friend or close relative who is trying to contact you. In my opinion, it is better to restrict the time we spend on the internet to one hour a day. This might help to bridge the communication gap between family members.
- The reader is a retired accountant based in Dubai.
