The Annenberg Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California released a study that showed 28% of Americans that were interviewed last year said they have been spending less time with members of their households. This is nearly triple the 11% who said that in 2006. Interestingly the survey found that the decrease in family communication coincides with the rise in using the Internet.

While these individuals themselves do not admit they spend less time with their families, more and more people note that they get concerned over how much time their children are spending online. In 2000, when the center began its annual surveys on Americans and the Internet, only 11 percent of respondents said that family members under 18 were spending too much time online. By 2008, that grew to 28 percent.

Besides, it was also noticed that higher-income families who can afford more Web-connected devices reported greater loss of family time than those who make less money. And more women than men said they felt ignored by a family member using the Internet.