▶ Your Answer : Yesterday I read an article noting that three out of ten people in Seoul are single families. The percentage is trending upward since the early twenty-first century. These statistics are astonishing since Koreans used to live in a large family, even until the late twentieth century. At the same time, an increase in single families is spawning various social problems such as isolation and lack of security. Thus, I believe the importance of the extended family has been growing steadily over the past few decades. First of all, people can learn invaluable lessons from their grandparents. We live in a wealth of information. We can sift through thousands of books using smartphones and ask questions when you face complex problems. This information, however, is all fragmented and not as touching as the pearls of wisdom you can get from people. For example, when I was in high school, I read a lot of articles and texts emphasizing the significance of reading when you are young. Still, I was not interested in reading. One day, my grandfather called me and showed me a Korean classic named "Plaza" and told me how that book has been changing his life. He added that he would like me to enjoy reading as he does. That was the first time in my life that I voluntarily read a book. Since then, I spend most of my free time reading Korean classics. On top of that, people these days are isolated from society. The advent of smartphones has made people more isolated since they enabled people to eat, drink, and buy products at home. They tend to communicate with their friends through social networking sites such as Facebook or Instagram. Lack of face to face interactions are making people lonelier. On the other hand, if these isolated people live in an extended family, they can easily solve this problem. They are more likely to encounter different members; You may face siblings, parents, and grandparents. Therefore, there would be constant interactions. For instance, on Korean Thanksgiving day, all family members gather in a house, play a traditional game, and throw a party together. You cannot be isolated in this surrounding. Unfortunately, it is hard to picture this kind of gathering, considering people nowadays live in smaller families. To sum up, the re-emergence of the extended family can be a cure for isolation. Besides, children can learn invaluable wisdom from their grandparents. I firmly believe it is time for us to consider living with our grandparents seriously. |