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

πŸ“± 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.

πŸ§“πŸ½ “Good morning” messages with flowers became the digital version of morning greetings in many Indian homes.

πŸ‘ͺ 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.

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

πŸ§‘‍🏫 3. Education and Parenting

πŸ“š 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.

πŸ‘©‍πŸ’» 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

πŸ•΅️‍♀️ 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.

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

πŸ‘΅πŸ½ 5. Elder Inclusion & Isolation

πŸ‘£ 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.

πŸ˜” 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.


πŸ”„ 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



🧠 Final Thoughts

The internet didn’t break the Indian family — it reshaped it.

It made families more digitally interdependent

It introduced freedom + friction

It created both isolation and inclusion, depending on how well tech was understood

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