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Modern families are racing to squeeze in more and more work into their daily lives, according to a study by Yahoo and OMD media firm. Computing and communications devices had people cramming an average of 43 hours' worth of activity into a typical 24-hour day by "multi-tasking". Mexico, India and China had the highest multi-tasking rates. The changing landscape of modern families may be a challenge for marketers. Technology is the backdrop to the "changing landscape" of modern families. Global families today are harnessing pervasive technology and media to help them manage busy households and achieve more balanced, satisfying lives. With 718 million global internet users, technology is helping bring far flung corners of the world closer together. How jam-packed is daily family life? The increasing dependence upon technology has trivialised the art of living, and that's the real problem. A recent study, conducted by Yahoo and OMD, a media firm, found that seriously tech-connected families are multitasking themselves to death. Computing and communications devices had people cramming an average of 43 hours' worth of activity into a typical 24-hour day by "multi-tasking". The survey untangled the overlapping use of the internet, telephones, text messaging, radio and television during work and recreation hours for more than 4,700 adults in 16 countries with in-home interviews and scrapbooks tracking media and technology usage by families in seven countries. Mexico, India and China have the highest multi-tasking rates, respectively packing 46, 45 and 44 hours' worth of tasks into standard days. At the more relaxed end of the spectrum was France with 34 hours and South Korea with 33. The US came it at the average. Reaching Out to Family 2.0 The average tech-connected family, christened Family 2.0 in this world owns 11 electronic devices. On average, families said they spent 3.6 hours per day using the internet, 2.5 hours daily watching television and one hour on instant messaging. Smaller increments of time were spent playing video games, listening to the radio and digital music players, reading newspapers and internet blogs. Division of expertise in houses has resulted in family decisions regarding purchases and other matters becoming more democratic. People credited e-mail, instant messaging and mobile devices with bringing family members closer, whether they are siblings living in different countries or parents of teenagers. It is increasingly found that while e-mail and text messaging make interpersonal communication easier, they do so at the expense of face-to-face interaction. So we increasingly diddle our cell phones and Blackberries to converse with someone, someone who may even be in the same room. Perversely, a lot of younger people are growing more comfortable with texting than actually speaking to a living person. More than half of those surveyed said that without computer technology, they wouldn't be able to stay in touch with friends or family. Approximately half of respondents said they rely primarily on television for news (50 per cent) and comedy (43 per cent). Magazines are a significant source for celebrity gossip and other niche content. Newspapers are viewed as a strong secondary source, after the internet, for information with a local flavour such as jobs, sports, concerts and events. In addition to enabling socialising, technology has become integral to routine family life. Two thirds (66 per cent) of US families surveyed use the internet to research products, and 64 per cent use a search engine every day. Families also use the internet to share photos (62 per cent), make travel reservations (60 per cent) and research health (61 per cent). Understanding how Family 2.0 interacts with each other and multiple technology devices and media channels is critical for businesses looking to reach consumers and influence purchasing behaviour. Reaching out to the whole family also is increasingly important. A challenge for marketers was to be pinpointing influential members of homes when it came to purchases and then get messages to them in ways that were welcomed.
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