Research suggests the concept of family is changing
Media agency OMD and Time Inc., a publishing firm have released results from research which looked at how families are evolving and changing with time. The research project, called Future of families, was launched to discover more about UK family life. People are no longer viewing blood relatives as their only family but are considering a wider circle of friends and loved ones family too. Half of the survey respondents did not think there would be any ‘typical’ family structure in the future.
A majority of respondents believe that children will be living with parents for longer in the future because of barriers in the housing market and young adults struggling to find work. More than a third of those surveyed stated they had helped their parents to make an important life decision, which shows people are more involved in their loved ones lives.
The research found three key trends which OMD have called ‘2.4 No More’, ‘United under pressure’ and ‘Virtual families.’ Through the research it was discovered that the stereotypical 2.4 family with a mother and father no longer exists and people are no longer conforming to the traditional idea of family structure. Now and into the future more than ever, people are remarrying, co-habiting with and without children and living with same sex partners and single parenting.
The ‘United under pressure’ trend arises from the realisation that more people are relying on family members more so than ever due to everyday family life stresses such as finance, child care and time constraints. The ‘virtual families’ concept comes from the fact that families do not find technology disruptive at home but do worry about the safety implications surrounding technology.
The findings strengthen the fact that UK family life is evolving and changing, with most people embracing the changes to improve their situations and create a happy family atmosphere.