The use of the internet by adolescents and the transformations in the power relationships of the contemporary family

Abstract

The family institution has been undergoing transformations driven by the socio-cultural context of postmodernity, thus altering the existing power relations. With the spread of the internet in the daily lives of parents and children, the behavior of contemporary adolescents gains new contours, which influences and indicates changes in the power relationships in the family. Thus, the present study sought to understand the power relations between parents and children in contemporary society through the analysis of adolescents' use of the internet. For the purposes of this research, three families with adolescent children, between 11 and 15 years old and who have access to the internet, were interviewed and observed. Through the analysis of the data, it was possible to perceive that postmodern and traditional aspects coexist, characterizing family power relations as hybrids.