The Influence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTS) on Parents/ Adolescents Relationship

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of ICTs on parents/Adolescents relationships among
staff families of Federal College of Education Technical Omoku. The objective of this study include to find
out ways in which ICTs influence parents/adolescents relationships among academic staff families of
Federal College of Education Technical Omoku, to explore into the nature of social interactions that exist
between the parents and adolescent In the context of ICTs use, and also to examine the ways the parents
relates with their children in respect of ICTs use. This study adopted survey design and selected a sample
population of 30 participants from the staff families of Federal College of Education Technical Omoku
using purposive sampling technique. The data obtained were analyzed with weighted mean, the results
show that the adolescents’ use of ICTs do not foster social pathology among them or hamper good
parents/adolescents relationships, though the parents are to be concerned with their children's ICTs based
activities. The influence of ICTs on parents/adolescents relationship is a function of the level of the
knowledge and use of technologies by both them, Adolescents ICTs use does not necessarily cause
relational difficulties with parents nor lead to social pathology, nevertheless the parents should emphasize
the need for new media literacy among the adolescents in this ever changing new media environment that
characterize the knowledge-based economy.