Family Time, The Internet And Television

from the wait,-that's-not-what-it-says... dept

The CS Monitor has an article talking about a recent study that suggests internet usage is cutting into spending time with families. It certainly wouldn't surprise me if that's true, but I'm having trouble understanding why the article focuses on the internet as being the issue, when it seems to say that it's an even bigger issue with television:

The center, which has been conducting surveys on Americans and the Internet since 2000, found that 44 percent of Americans said they were sometimes or often ignored by family members who spent too much time using the Internet, while 48 percent said they were ignored by family members who spent too much time watching TV.

Doesn't that suggest television is a bigger issue? So why is the headline and the article focused on the internet? At least if people are online, other family members can also get online and interact. And, no, I'm not saying that's an acceptable substitute for face-to-face family time, but it should at least be recognized that it's a different type of communication, rather than just some blackhole.

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