SA families go online to close generation gap

Families 2.0

More than 26% of South African internet users spend over 10 hours a week using Windows Live Messenger. In fact, almost every three quarters of all survey respondents talk to family using Windows Live Messenger and 28% use Windows Live Messenger to keep in touch with six or more family members.

Brothers, sisters and cousins message each other the most. However, Instant Messaging isn't just for the younger generation. Thirty-three percent of South African respondents dutifully IM their mothers and fathers several times week, and a growing number of digital mums, dads and grandparents regularly use IM to keep a watchful eye on their kids. No topics are off limits - kids can expect ear-bashings over video calls about overdue bills, how studies are going and who they're dating.

One Instant Messaging mum said: “When my kids moved to university I would always have to hassle them to phone me back. But with Windows Live Messenger I can see when they are online and can always get them to video call me instead.”

In fact, families as a whole are becoming increasingly savvy about the best ways for keeping in touch online. While chatting is the most popular activity, more than 36% of South African respondents regularly use Windows Live Messenger to share photos and files because they find it even easier and faster to use than email. Today, nearly 35% of respondents also use Windows Live Messenger to place video phone calls over their computers as a free and fun way to see a friendly family face.

One digital granny raves about video calling: “I saw my grandchild for the first time on Messenger and was also able to sing to her on her first birthday. Now we talk every Sunday night, and the best part is that I don't have to worry about getting a huge bill at the end of the month.”

Going the distance

Distance doesn't diminish the use of Messenger and in fact, can encourage even greater use. More than 77% of South African respondents regularly message family members who live in a different country, a trend which is likely to grow as even more people seek to work and live abroad. IM also comes in handy for South African holidaymakers, as more than 58% prefer to chat online for free instead of risking lost letters or hefty phone bills.

“Families may be living further apart but they're certainly not growing apart - in fact, we're finding that family ties are stronger than ever,” said Brian Kealy, spokesperson for Microsoft. “Windows Live Messenger is so popular because it's an easy, free and fun way to keep families close together, whether they're one mile apart from each other or 1000.”

Family feuds

Perhaps unsurprisingly, family squabbles happen just as easily online as they do in person. When they do, the majority of respondents find it easier to hide behind a keyboard. Only 47% of South African respondents admit to saying something online that they would not have said face-to-face.

Instant Messaging can also make it easier to extend virtual peace offerings, which sometimes is as easy as sending a smiley emoticon. When a bigger apology is in order, 43% of respondents rely on IM to resolve tricky family issues.

“Some people may think apologising over IM is chickening out, but it's really helped me patch up fights with my sister,” said a 16-year-old South African teen. “I can take the time I need to really think about what I'm going to say - and, because it's less confrontational, we tend to resolve any rows very quickly.”

Even though families can sometimes fight online, any perceived family dysfunctions seem to be very short-lived. Only 19% of South African respondents say their family is most like the Simpsons. This is probably why, when asked what they would change about their families if they could, the majority of South Africans said they would keep their families exactly as they are.

“The results of this survey are really interesting as it just shows how communication and technology are becoming so inexplicably linked. As new technologies evolve, such as video calling with Windows Live Messenger, we see younger family members using the tool and then integrating it into their family, which gives the whole family new ways to keep in touch.

It's also interesting to see how fast older generations take to new products and how they become central to their daily lives. It just shows that as the family unit is becoming stretched by both time, distance and finances, they'll embrace services like Windows Live Messenger to keep the family together,” Judi James, a behavioural expert says.