Effects of Social Media on Family Culture and Communication–A Study of Selected Families in Pune

Media technology is an integral part of every individual's life in the twenty-first century. The world of electronic media, however, is changing dramatically. Television, which dominated the media world through the mid-1990s, now competes in an arena crowded with cell phones, iPods, video games, instant messaging, interactive multiplayer video games, virtual reality sites, Web social networks, and e-mail. Technology in today's world offers a plethora of ways to communicate effectively so that every member of a family can keep in touch. From text messaging, Skype, webcams, Facebook, Twitter and emails, the facilitation of communication has never been more available. However, there are times when the one-on one communication between human beings falls through the cracks and technology can take control over a family.As of today, social media has become one of the most powerful sources for news updates through platforms such as Facebook, Blogger, Twitter, WordPress, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, Tumblr, MySpace and Wikia. In addition, there has been an increase in mobile social media which has created new opportunities, in particulate for business, which are able to utilize social media for marketing research, sales promotions, and customer relationship development among others.