Technology: Internet and the Role of Family in India

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Internet and the Role of Family in India

Internet and the Role of Family in India

The internet has deeply reshaped the role of the family in India, changing how families communicate, connect, educate, socialize, and even discipline or support each other. It has introduced both generational bridges and divides and redefined authority, privacy, learning, and bonding within Indian households.

🧭 1. Redefining Family Communication

📱 Before the Internet:

Families mostly communicated in person or by landline calls, or by letters.

Long-distance family contact was rare and delayed.

🌐 After the Internet:

Families started using emails, SMS, WhatsApp, and video calls to stay connected, especially with migrant or NRI members.

Apps like WhatsApp Family Groups became daily hubs for sharing images, jokes, prayers, and updates.

🧓🏽 “Good morning” messages with flowers became the digital version of morning greetings in many Indian homes.

👪 2. Shifts in Family Roles & Authority

🧠 Pre-Internet:

Parents and elders were primary sources of knowledge and decision-making.

Respect and obedience were tied to age and authority.

🌍 Post-Internet:

Youth and children became digital guides—helping parents with Google, apps, and digital payments.

Authority flattened: knowledge and “truth” became accessible beyond family structures.

📍 A teenager teaching their father how to use UPI or book a train ticket online is a role reversal.

🧑‍🏫 3. Education and Parenting

📚 Changes:

Students shifted from tuition and books to YouTube, BYJU’S, Google, and ChatGPT.

Parents found it harder to supervise or verify what their children were consuming or learning online.

Parental control tools became common, but so did tensions over screen time.

👩‍💻 Family Dynamic:

Increased pressure on digital literacy among parents

Online school during COVID-19 deepened this change—parents sat in on classes, learned tech platforms

🕵️‍♀️ 4. Privacy, Surveillance & Conflict

Youth demanded private space online (social media, messages), leading to conflicts with traditional norms of transparency.

Parents feared exposure to online threats (porn, dating, gaming addiction, radicalization).

Surveillance increased: checking browser history, app use, GPS location, etc.

💬 “Why are you always on your phone?” became a generational cold war in many households.

👵🏽 5. Elder Inclusion & Isolation

👣 Digital Inclusion:

Elders began using WhatsApp, YouTube, Bhajan apps, and online pujas, especially during the COVID lockdowns.

Digital literacy programs (PMGDISHA, Google Internet Saathi) helped many older Indians go online.

😔 Isolation Risk:

Some elders felt left out or overwhelmed by fast tech changes

Lack of digital fluency sometimes widened the generation gap

❤️ 6. Family Bonding & New Rituals

Online Ritual	How It Evolved
Family photos	Shared instantly via WhatsApp, cloud
Prayers	Online darshan, virtual group aartis
Celebrations	Zoom birthdays, Diwali e-greetings
Remembrance	Online memorials, shared video tributes

🧾 7. Financial Roles & Digital Access

The Internet helped share family banking, shopping, and bill payments.

Parents and children could collaborate on online tasks (buying insurance, booking tickets, paying fees).

However, rural or underprivileged families still struggled with access and literacy.

🔄 Summary Table: Internet’s Impact on Indian Family Life

Area	Before Internet	After Internet
Communication	Face-to-face, letters, landlines	WhatsApp, video calls, emojis
Education	Books, tuition, and oral learning	Online classes, Google, self-learning
Family Authority	Elder-led, age = knowledge	Youth guide tech use, knowledge = access
Parenting	Monitored, face-to-face	App controls, trust issues, and screen fights
Bonding	Gatherings, shared space	Online rituals, shared digital memories
Generational Gap	Small	Widened or bridged through training