USC Annenberg Professor Francois Bar co-wrote a series of reports on the impact of information and communication technologies in eight countries.
The collective study was conducted by the Technology and Social Change Group at the University of Washington Information School. The reports looked at communication technology use in Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Chile, Ghana, Lithuania, South Africa and the Philippines.
The study that focused on the Philippines and how public access to internet connected migrant workers to their families was featured in the Asian Journal in October.
“We specifically looked at whether the parents felt they knew and were involved in their children’s lives and inversely, whether children had a good understanding of their parents’ lives,” Bar told the Asian Journal.
The study found that families who utilized communication technology were “significantly better connected,” than those who did not use it.
Additionally, the study found that, of the 92 percent of youth respondents who used the internet, 72 percent used it to communicate with their parents abroad. The researchers also gave recommendations in the report on how to improve communication among families using technology.
“Exposure and training of overseas workers and their families, by government or NGO welfare agencies, on how to use online communication conducted prior to departure would be beneficial,” the report said.
