We are now living in a world where distance and time apart from our loved ones is not as challenging as it used to be. Through the use of technology, we are not only able to speak to our loved ones in the same time zone, but we are now developing relationships with our uncles, cousins and grandparents on the other end of a computer screen. This of course has many advantages, but I do have to wonder what the effect of technology and virtual distance is going to have on our childrens’ relationships?
Will our children know the difference between a friendship, and a
relationship with their grandparent? Or will their relationships with their
friends become more cherished, as this may be the only face to face
interaction they have?
My husband was chosen a few years back as ’emerging talent’ in his organization. This quite simply means that he has been recognized as a talented individual in his field, and to make big strides within the organization, he needs to go on an international assignment for a few years. This sounds incredibly attractive to the reader…….. But as his wife, it has not been so glamorous. In the last 6 years, we have moved to approximately 5 different countries.
We haven’t physically moved to any of these places, but it has felt as though we have. All the preparation, research and emotion that goes behind the possibility of moving, and wrenching your family and the roots you have built for your children, is tough.
My point being that our reality is a fickle one in these times. One minute you are building a solid foundation and a stable environment for your family, the next you are in a foreign city and reliant on your new environment for this type of stability. What effect will this have on the next generation? Will traveling abroad, and living in 5 different countries by the time our kids turn 18, become the norm? Will it effect the fundamental relationships that generations before them have cherished and relied on so wholeheartedly?
In the world we now live in, we can now make a trade. This for that. Relationships for a career move. Weather for work. On a global level we are now recruiting, and moving countries the way we used to move from one company to the next. Life changing? A possibility. Adventurous? Absolutely. Will there be an expense to pay? Only time will tell.