I have heard it said that technology is bad for families.  Specifically, that television is one of the worst things that ever happened to us as families, because it prevents us from talking to one another.

My own experience, though, has been that technology – yes, even television-type technology – has the potential to be beneficial for families if we use it carefully.

I thought I’d never have a video game console in my home.  (And I still don’t care much for “traditional” video games.)  But we’ve found that active games like the Wii Fit, Wii Sports Resort, or Just Dance Wii games are great ways for us to spend time together as a family and get a bit of exercise.  (We don’t have Just Dance yet, but it looks fun.)  We are not ignoring each other while we’re doing this; we’re interacting with each other!

Even television has the potential to be useful.  In my opinion, DVR is the best thing to ever happen to TV.  Not only are we no longer tied to particular time blocks, we can now pause, rewind, or replay.  As a result, certain television shows serve as a common interest for us.  Yet, instead of dully staring at the screen throughout the show so as not to miss anything, we can talk to one another about the show as it’s going on.  (The ability to pause is key here!  We can discuss themes with the kids, practice important literary skills like “predicting the outcome,” and just generally enjoy the show together as opposed to simply side-by-side.

The presence – and appeal – of the television actually has a tendency to draw us together into one place where we would be just as likely to wander our separate ways otherwise.  Would it be better for something more meaningful to be the catalyst that draws us together?  Probably – but this is a start.  Are these the only things we do together?  No.  (But they are probably the most common ones.)

If you don’t have a television, I’m not trying to urge you to! 😉  If your family is good at spending time together in other ways, so much the better (and I’d love to hear what you do together).  But I wanted to point out that, used mindfully, technology can work for us, rather than against us.

This post is being compensated.  All opinions expressed, however, are purely my own.