Nowadays in many countries more and more people are spending their time away from their families. Why is this? What are the effects on themselves and on their families?

Families – the building block of any societies – are coming under an unprecedented attack on all fronts. The modern, hectic lifestyle common in cities, where more than half of the entire human population dwells, is increasingly asking for greater

work

commitment than ever before.

As a result

, urban dwellers feel increasingly pressed for

time

– and when forced to make a choice, many of them have chosen

work

over family.

This

preference has undermined the foundation of families all around the

world

, and brought about serious social consequences that are haunting many developed nations in the

world

. The frantic and busy lifestyle, the telltale sign of a post-industrial society, is responsible for

this

development. Wage workers, whose schedule is from nine to five, whose employers are fastidious about punctuality, and whose residences may be hours away from

work

, find themselves sinking most of their waking

time

working and travelling to

work

. At

work

-obsessed cultures

such

as that of Japan, employees readily show commitment and dedication to their company by willingly working overtime without overtime pay in order to have the slightest chance at promotion. Needless to say, these people would not find enough quality

time

to spend with their family. One ought not to look

further

than Japan, once heralded as an economic miracle of the 20th century, to see what debilitating effects the deterioration of families could have on society at large. Japanese parents, especially the father, who may have to

work

long shifts at the office, may go on for days without seeing their children’s faces. The family bond is

thus

weakened significantly, and,

as a result

, people no longer value families as much as they used to. Birthrate in Japan is among the lowest in the

world

. Coupled with better health care, and with it, longer lifespan, Japan has the fasting aging population in the

world

. Lonely deaths, the phenomenon in which geriatrics live and die by themselves, without any noticing for months on end, has become terrifyingly common in Japan. All of these and more could become a reality for any nations, should they choose to neglect one of the most grievous side effects of modernization: The erosion of the family unit. In summary, the erosion of the family has been underway for quite some

time

now, and it has already taken its toll on many societies, of which Japan is an egregious example. We need to act now to restore the once strong and inseparable bond between family members, lest a Brave New

World

dystopia suddenly seem far-fetched no longer.