Enhanced marriages, families and neighbourhoods through Internet

Nicholas Albery

My forecast is that over the next ten years, throughout the developed world, marriages will become much more stable and long-lasting, extended families will become much closer and more important in people's lives, neighbourhood activities and festivities will receive an enormous boost and people's social lives will be much richer and more satisfying.

All this will come about thanks to Internet.

At present there is concern about people retreating into their computer worlds, their cyberspace and virtual realities, and avoiding 'real life'. There is even a poster that announces: 'Internet - The International Exchange of Loneliness'.

But an opposite tendency is now underway. Within ten years, access to Internet will be as routine in Western households as video machine use is at present. Each extended family will have its own Family Memory Store on Internet and its own private e-mail group. The teenager's letter home, with one button click and for the cost of a local call, will go to the whole extended family wherever in the world they may be. The life story of a deceased relative, in words, sounds and pictures, will go in the Family Memory Store on Internet as a permanent memorial (see the article on this in Before and After, published by The Natural Death Centre, 1995).

All one neighbours' interests will be ascertainable from their Internet descriptions.

The big development will be in computer programs that match people according to their own specifications. You want to form a lunchtime discussion group in Cricklewood to discuss a different science fiction book each month? No problem, Internet will introduce you to likely partners or put out an appeal.

Research will have identified the main ingredients of compatibility in happy and creative long-term marriages. Single people will be introduced to potential partners who meet their minimum specification. Indeed, there will no doubt be smart-card-based devices that will buzz (or give out silent prods) as one walks down the street, if one passes a person who is compatible, with the number of prods indicating the degree of compatibility. The reception at restaurants for single people will use your smart card to direct you to the table of the person most likely to be compatible. And if someone more compatible arrives, they will discreetly introduce the new arrival.

As a result of these increased opportunities to find a suitable mate, marriages will stand a better chance of success, with additional support from the closer-knit extended family and the surrounding culturally-enriched community.

Nicholas Albery, 20 Heber Road, London NW2 6AA (tel 0181 208 2853; fax 0181 452 6434; e-mail: <rhino@bbcnc.org.uk>).

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