Family and Technology Symposium to be Held Oct. 23-24

Family and Technology Symposium to be Held Oct. 23-24

New communications technologies such as smart phones and social media are changing everything from how we meet people and develop relationships, to how parents raise their children and stay connected.

To discuss the implications of increases in technology use on relationships and family dynamics, the 2017 National Symposium on Family Issues presents “Families and Technology,” which will be held Oct. 23-24 at the Nittany Lion Inn.

The conference will address how rapid changes in technology are both positively and negatively influencing families and family life. Facebook had 1.86 billion active monthly users worldwide at of the end of 2016, and this number will only keep climbing. “With technology evolving so rapidly and the time spent using such technology continuing to grow, we need to evaluate how this technology affects relationships and how families form and are maintained,” said Jennifer Van Hook, professor of sociology and demography and symposium organizer.

Symposium sessions will explore the role technology has in dating and forming romantic relationships, including online dating and dating apps. Sessions will also analyze how technology has influenced parenting, including parent’s role in screen time, how parents manage social media use, and how technology influences family ties.

The symposium is free for Penn State students and employees. Registration is required.

For more information and to register visit 2017 Family Symposium.

The Family Symposium series is funded in part by a grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and sponsored by Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute, Population Research Institute and the Child Study Center, as well as Penn State’s departments of Sociology, Human Development and Family Studies, and Psychology.

Family and Technology Symposium to be Held Oct. 23-24