Some experts have tried to blame the decline of the American
family on electronics. Others have tried
to lay the blame on the economy forcing both partners to work in order to make
ends meet. While both of these factors
have played a role in societal decline by separating and individualizing the
time spent together as a family unit, there is another factor that is
overlooked as a potential cause for isolation among family members. The unseen antagonist in this drama is the
American automobile.
During the Baby Boom in the 1950’s and 1960’s, a young man
would make a date with his potential girlfriend and pick her up in his
car. He would open the door for her and
she would sit on the passenger side of the vehicle. As the relationship progressed, she might
slide closer to him on the bench seat and, before long, they would look like a
two-headed driver. He had his arm around
her as they drove down life’s highway.
If, or when, they got married and added a child, the mother would hold
the child in her arms as they progressed on their journey. This process would be repeated as many times
as reproduction occurred, with each new child being held by the mother with
each of the older siblings being rotated to the passenger seat, then to the
back seat as the child became less dependent on the mother’s care. The thought of safety was rarely brought into
play because the parents knew that the vehicle was made of heavy gauge steel
and virtually indestructible.
As the family rolled into the late 1960’s and early 1970’s,
changes began to take place in society.
The Civil Rights movement was in full swing and the Women’s Lib movement
was growing in popularity. Viet Nam was
winding down and Gay Pride was on the march.
The economy was beginning to slow down and the need to make cars safer and
more fuel-efficient was beginning to become popular as the price of oil was
slowly on the rise. Smaller cars, made
of lighter metals, hit the market and the introduction of bucket seats and seat
belts brought safety to the forefront. Yes, society was changing. With fast growing progressive views and the
interstate highway system changing the landscape of America, came the need for safety
to be at the forefront of American’s minds.
Fast forward to 2014.
The mandatory seat belt laws have been in effect since 1995. There is mandatory use of car seats required
for all children under the age of five in most states, and everyone is
compartmentalized safely into their own space without physical contact with
another. Infants are even forced to
stare at the seat back they are attached to, instead of given the opportunity to
see the world around them. What possible
impact could that have on the American family unit?
Between 1960 and 2010 the divorce rate and cases of juvenile
delinquency in America have quadrupled.
Yes, there are other factors that could be considered such as economic
and social changes, but the one thing that stands out amongst all of the
changes is how America has compartmentalized each individual in the family
unit. The automobile is a prime example
of how America has separated the family.
From bench seats to bucket seats to individually locked-in child seating,and
seat belts to ensure the security and placement of each individual in their own
space, we have created a sterile world devoid of physical contact. It is no wonder that more children and young
adults would rather play video games than talk to siblings or parents. We have safely locked our families into a
world without freedom or human contact.
© MC Andrews, 2014.
