When Technology Became All About Loving My Family

No, technology does not always make us drift apart; sometimes, it brings us closer too.

Technology gave me a reason to be closer to my family this time (Photo: The Quint)

Technology can make or break relationships; for me, it did the former.

Yes, my life is at times overtly dependent on technology and it dominates my means of socialising but on the flip side, it has also brought me closer to someone I had drifted away from.

No, it is not my long lost childhood friend who I accidentally discovered on Facebook, nor my long distance boyfriend whom I Skype with each night – it is my parents.

The Love-Hate Relationship

I had a typical love-hate relationship with my parents and just like every other teenager, I also drifted apart from them at a very young age.

The thought that my parents did not understand me always bothered me, but at the same time, I longed for a bond that I shared with no one but my parents.

There is no love without hate when it comes to your parents 

Somewhere between my adolescence and their ageing, the distance between us grew wider.

It was then that technology came to our rescue.

When I Became My Parents’ Guide

“Beta, please help me send this picture to your aunt.”

“Why is my Facebook not working, will you please take a look?”

Statements like these echo in my house every day. Since I am the youngest, each family member depends on my help to overcome the technological problems they face, and teaching them these intricate details has finally made me feel a little more mature.

Whenever my mother sees me using all the gadgets the way I do, she be like...

When I look amused at my mom’s curious eyes as I easily download a song for her, she has just one thing to say, “I can’t understand how you are doing it” and I cannot help but wonder at her helplessness that once belonged to me.

Families In The Times of Tech

I have thrown tantrums because my mother kept asking me how to send a picture on WhatsApp, I have regretted the day I made my father’s account on Facebook.

But I also cherish the time I get to spend with my parents when teaching them these small things. I feel joy when my mom sends a video to her entire family to show me she knows how to do it. I feel proud when I teach my dad how the latest updates on his laptop works.

It is the smallest and the simplest things that give us the most joy in life and it is these small things that glue our family together.

Everyone uses Skype, Facetime and WhatsApp to connect with their loved ones. (Photo: Youtube screenshot)

Technology is best when it brings people together

Matt Mullenweg

Contrary to popular belief that technology has done nothing but make us anti-social and distant from our loved ones, it can also help people stay together.

Technology has become a medium for me to make up for the times I was missing from the dinner table as my entire family discussed their day. Technology has made me realise what it means to crack a joke with my parents. Technology has made me share smiles with my family after a long, long time. And technology has also made me appreciate what I have.

Each time I help my mother with her ‘difficult’ problems, that is how she behaves. 

Technology in one way or another has made me come closer to the people I would have otherwise drifted away from. And I thank it for being the perfect bridge between my parents and I.