In many countries today, people in cities either live alone or in small family units, rather than in large, extended family groups. Is this a positive or negative trend?

It is true that there are rising number of people who live alone or in small families in cities where extended families are becoming more and more rare. In my opinion, it is a negative trend. As families are getting smaller, family support, which is essential feature of traditional family unity, is disappearing, and

this

has negative effects on children. In small families, child care is an obstacle for parents since they both generally work in cities. Parents are forced to depend on babysitters, nannies, or they leave their kid alone if s/he is old enough and the child tries filling the absence of his/her parent with some time-killer activities,

such

as watching tv or playing computer, and these become the factors that the child is affected the most. There is no wonder that there is a positive correlation between behavioural problems among children and decline of extended families.

Also

, the trend toward living alone in big cities is even more damaging because of limited human interaction and its anticipated consequences. Individuals who live on their own have nobody to talk, so they cannot share the high and lows of their lives with another human being, so in time they become dependent on virtual stimulants

such

as social media, online streaming services.

This

leads to feelings of loneliness, isolation and even alienation, all of which factors are highly linked to psychological problems.

This

way of living increase the likelihood of developing psychological problems. In summary, I believe that the benefits of larger families outweigh especially when compared to living alone or in small families.