Working with children, adolescents and their families provides practitioners with an array of presenting problems from violent and aggressive behavior, school refusal, parent and sibling conflict and anxiety and depression. Threaded through many of these is the domination of technology and the fear and impotence parents express. ‘What can we do?’ they ask, and practitioners may find themselves as uncertain as their client.
Family Dynamics and Problematic technology Use
Excessive technology use often heightens existing difficulties and tensions in family relationships through excessive screen time, social media engagement, online gaming, and digital distractions. Parents find their lack of knowledge disempowering and are ill-prepared for the fury their attempts to curtail their child’s use may bring. Where parents’ relationships are already fractured and disagreements readily appear, finding a coherent and effective approach is further undermined.
Can Systemic Family Therapy Help?
In the paper ‘Balancing bytes and bonds: Case studies in systemic approaches to digital dynamics in diverse family systems’, Lockhart (2024) addressed this question. Using a clinical case study method, in-depth examination of client cases within a clinical context were analysed to generate information. Three distinct systemic therapy approaches were applied with three different families: feminist family therapy, Bowen family systems therapy and socioculturally attuned family therapy—a blend of feminist family therapy and Bowen family systems therapy. The practitioner’s aim was to ‘facilitate the transformation of attitudes and beliefs regarding technology for the family members impacted by excessive technology use.’
What Did Therapy Address?
In each case systemic approaches were used to address technology-related beliefs within family dynamics with the goal of promoting understanding, empathy and resilience. Boundary setting, communication exercises and role play were some of the techniques used to achieve this, which the authors report produced a ‘transformative shift’ in parent and child perspectives. Parents recognised the need for balance between the costs and benefits of technology which supported ‘setting boundaries, fostering digital mindfulness and promoting offline family activities to strengthen communication and connection within the family system.’ Therapeutic approaches that actively included children and encouraged them to express their perspective and requirements, encouraged a greater sense of collaboration and ownership of decisions to create a more balanced approach to technology.
Cultural Considerations
The authors noted ‘an enhanced cultural sensitivity in parents’ through a growth in their understanding of ‘diverse cultural contexts surrounding technology-related beliefs’. This allowed them a better appreciation of their children’s perspectives and values and enhanced respect and empathy between generations. The difference in technology literacy and comfort between parent and their children was also acknowledged leading to more effective communication and collaboration in the family. Children demonstrated a more balanced approach with an awareness of the need to engage in off-line activities and engage in family interactions and activities. They too developed an enhanced sense of cultural norms and values in their family which enhanced more harmony and understanding.
In Conclusion
Three case studies cannot provide a definitive answer to problems generated by technology use in families. However, it does point to interesting directions for future study and the merit of working with the family to address these issues.
Lockhart, E. N. S. (2025). Balancing bytes and bonds: Case studies in systemic approaches to digital dynamics in diverse family systems. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 46, e1606. https://doi.org/10.1002/anzf.1606
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