Reply to How families have changed in the last 50 years.

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Families have always had their problems, but now we have social media telling young people that their family members are toxic, everyone’s a narcissist, and encouraging cutting off family members if they have a problem with them (& that people can “choose their own family” of friends).  In the past, people were more likely to recognize the imperfections but suck it up, because family was considered very important. [/quote]

They sucked it up at times because they had no other options. You and some other numbskull keep trying to push the false narrative that families never cut off one another. People often didn't see extended family at all as travel was hard and expensive. Even talking on the phone was expensive. [/quote]

Growing up, I had an aunt who lived across the country. She came home to visit once a year for a long weekend - bringing her children most of the time but never her DH. I think I met him once. She called her parents maybe once/mo. Travel and long distance phone calls were expensive- there was never any outward indication of “issues” and certainly no one would’ve ever suggested she was estranged or anyone was cut off. It was just “Larla and her family live far away” and that was that.

I didn’t realize until I was an adult that there were serious issues between my grandparents and aunt (over her marriage/choice of spouse) and the distance was all very intentional.

These days- with cheap airfare, social media, 24/7 calls and texting- it really would not work this way. Surely the extended family would demand more, or force the issue. My aunt might have had no choice but to do a real cutoff. But back then, she could do a bare minimum type relationship to keep up appearances using distance as an excuse.

I don’t think this sort of thing was very uncommon. [/quote]

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