DIGITAL DIVIDE: A GAP IN INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION AMONGST NIGERIAN FAMILY RELATIONSHIP

Abstract

The study Digital Divide: A Gap In Interpersonal Communication Amongst Family Relationships seeks to find out how technology has affected the willingness of family members to engage in interpersonal communication in the family. The survey research design was adopted for the research and the structured questionnaire was employed as instrument of data collection. The study found that technology has created a gap in interpersonal communication amongst family relationships and that people lose interest in communicating interpersonally with family members due to constant engagement in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The study recommends that families should make concerted effort at adopting and integrating ICTs that will help enhance interpersonal communication in family relationships rather than engage with ICTS that will erode interpersonal communication amongst family relationships. Also, family centered activities that provide opportunities for family members to communicate interpersonally without the interruption or interference of any technology should be encouraged.