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SALT LAKE CITY — The amazing speed with which the world is becoming technically connected is leaving some families struggling to find balance between the challenges and benefits of electronic advances.
Nationwide, the average time that a person spends online has increased by more than 400 percent in the past 10 years, with 33 percent of the world now connected to the Internet, up from 9 percent in 2002, according to Nielsen ratings.
Utah ranks second highest in the country for the percentage of homes with online access. More than 85 percent of people in Utah have Internet access, compared with the national average of 76 percent.
Teens spend, on average, about five hours a day online, according to the 2012 McAfee's Teen Internet Behavior Study. But parents surveyed believed their kids spend an average of three hours a day online.
The online boom is forcing some parents to balance the positives of keeping their kids plugged in against the negative distractions of having so much information at their fingertips.
Related:
In search of balance: Can families both embrace and overcome the Internet?
The children in the Jones Bott family were kept at arm's length from technology — but they received iPods a year and a half ago in a first step toward embracing tech devices.Jodi Jones Bott is one parent who says in some ways the Internet has made it more difficult to keep her family close. Terms like sexting and cyber bullying were unfamiliar a decade ago, but are now issues she pays attention to. She's also noticed that when her kids have free time they spend it watching Netflix or gaming on their Xbox. She has noticed more conflict as siblings argue over sharing electronic devices.
In contrast, she also has seen tremendous benefits of being technically connected. Her 17-year-old son suffers from autism. His condition limits his attention span and he is unable to read.
Due in part to his smartphone, he is now able to stay on track during the day. The smartphone alerts him of his chores with a daily message and gives him stability by creating a daily routine.
Another positive for the family, Jones Bott said, is having a quick form of communication with the ability to help her children in daily tasks.
"Anything intended for good, can be good or can be bad," she said. "(Internet), it is good and it is bad and it depends on how people use it."
Contributing: Julian Reyes
