Cyber Custody Ruling
from the go-to-the-computer-now... dept
This article from the Philadelphia Inquirer points out a problem, but does little to suggest a real solution. It complains about a recent divorce ruling that said some of the father’s custody time could be covered by web videoconferencing. The column then goes on to trash videoconferencing as being totally impersonal. Certainly, a technology connection is no substitute for real face time with children, but this article reeks of “blaming the technology”, instead of dealing with the real issues. As custody problems go, videoconferencing as one option when parents live many miles apart certainly seems better than many other potential options. If there were a simple solution that kept everyone’s best interests in mind, I’m sure people would go for it. As it stands, the judge apparently felt this was the best option for a bad situation. The writer doesn’t seem to suggest any other options, but is content to call this a bad solution. The article concludes by suggesting that all technology is contributing to weaker relationships in society. It seems like yet another luddite is ignoring all the benefits of communications technology to (weakly) attempt to prove her point.
