Many people in Washington criticize the way children interact with phones, tablets and other electronic devices, particularly when it comes to social media. There have been many reports about cyberbullying and other inappropriate online behavior. However, these technologies have also brought positive effects into many families’ lives. After a divorce, electronic communications can help to ensure that children are never far away from both of their parents.
According to a recently published study, even when exes don’t get along well after a divorce, parent-child relationships remain strong so long as the children remained in direct communication with both parents. This communication did not necessarily need to be in-person; video chats, texts and other interactions also helped to foster a sense of love and well-being for the children. Researchers found that even when children and parents rarely saw each other in person, electronic communications were vital to bridging the gap. Even the children of high-conflict divorces felt connected to both of their parents through texting and social media.
Some researchers pointed out that text and social media communication are important parts of emotional and friendship connections for young people. Therefore, children viewed their text conversations as having a very high value in expressing their connection with their parents. In addition, these forms of communication allow parents to connect directly with their children rather than passing messages back and forth between their divorced parents.
Many divorced parents worry about how to maintain a strong relationship with their kids. A family law attorney can work with a divorcing parent to reach a fair agreement on issues like child custody and visitation that can foster and protect the parent-child bond.