The use of Internet Technology and Family Relationships inInformation Society: Japan-US Comparison

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Questionnaire research as well as in-depth interviews were conducted to fathers with young children in Japan and the U.S. in order to examine the extent of fathers’use of IT tools, and its relationships with their participation in child care, parental identity, marital relations and friendship. Major findings indicate that fathers’use of IT tools is positively related to their participation in child care in both countries. Cross-societal difference is noted in terms of IT usage and fathers’ networking. U.S. fathers’use of IT tools increases their social network whereas no such effect was found among their Japanese counterparts. Findings of this research are expected to contribute to the Japanese government’s efforts to increase paternal involvement as well as identify the unique usage of IT tools among Japanese fathers to make concrete and effective suggestions for child care support in Japan.