Saudi Gazette report IN a society that has traditionally placed immense value on family ties, interpersonal relationships have changed drastically and what were once common family activities such as eating or going out together are now rare. Some of the changes can be attributed to the Kingdom's high Internet usage and smart phone adoption rate, both of which have changed the way people interact. Communication over social media websites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter is now preferred over physical meetings. Al-Riyadh daily explores the changes occurring in society. Citizen Fawad Khalaf blamed parents for what he described as a failure to perform their roles effectively. "I agree that some parents have failed in their role due to their abject poverty or hard difficult circumstances. But what about those who have the time and money and never spend time with their sons and daughters? I am certain that such parents will raise children who do not have any affection toward one another, let alone toward their parents," she said. Nawal Masood, a nurse, believes that most marriages are destined to fail, as couples are unable to handle their differences. "They do not listen to each other anymore and prefer to alienate themselves," she said, adding that negligence and carelessness can kill a marriage fast. Worrisome changes Majed Al-Marsouqi, a government official, said in the past, if a father passed way, the uncle or the grandfather would take his place as the head of the family. However, many people are refusing to follow this tradition and fail to consult with their uncles or grandfathers on personal matters. Dr. Khalid Al-Naqiya, professor of sociology and social service at Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University, notes that Saudi society is going through two phases: a stable one and an unstable one. Instability started during the economic boom following the discovery of oil and the arrival of a large number of workers from outside the Kingdom. "Other cultures brought different values to Saudi society," he explained. "Undoubtedly, the Saudi family saw negative and positive transformations that were bound to happen. Today, the chasm in social relationships among members of the same family has widened," he added. Paying the price Dr. Abdulrahman Asiri said today's children do not care about their own mothers as was the case in the past. "A son may refuse to drive his mother to hospital or the mall because he wants to sleep and will let her take a cab. It is a sad thing to see members of a family treat one another in this way and live in complete isolation. They enjoy spending time on social media websites than with their families," he said. He blamed the concept of privacy to some degree for this widening chasm. "Everybody wants to lock their room and spend time alone on the Internet without being interrupted. Even children are living in this virtual world and carry their iPads wherever they go. When you think about it, most Arab societies are going through the same changes and the family is paying the price," he added.
