Over the past 10 years, families have experienced shifts in structure and a perceived increase in fragmented interactions at home, largely driven by the pervasive use of technology and changing social norms. What does the next decade hold in store?
According to a global survey* by Kaspersky’s market research center, an overwhelming 81% of people believe digitalisation will fundamentally alter families’ joint pastimes within the next decade. In South Africa, the figure is 90%. This shift points to a future where bonding is mediated by advanced technology, creating new rituals and challenges in equal measure.
Screen time is family time, but it has its risks
Nearly half (48%) of all respondents envision AI-powered bedtime stories becoming a norm, a figure that rises to 53% among 18–34-year-olds. In South Africa, 65% of survey participants envision AI-powered bedtime stories becoming a norm. Today, apps and smart devices offer AI-narrated tales with customisable characters and plot twists. For the busy parent, it presents a novel aid, for the child, an endlessly patient, interactive storyteller.
Meanwhile, with 31% of families (44% in South Africa) anticipating children opting for digital pets over real ones, it seems that ‘man’s best friend’ just got its first update.
It should be noted, however, that while AI has the potential to enrich a child’s life, it necessitates vigilance. When children interact with AI, for stories or learning, parents must be proactive. Select services with strong privacy policies that do not unnecessarily store or misuse a child’s data or voice interactions and further enhance control with digital parenting assistants like Kaspersky Safe Kids to restrict content and balance screen time.
Parents would be well placed to treat AI interactions as a new digital playground where they can use parental controls to limit session duration, choose vetted, age-appropriate AI story platforms, and most importantly, maintain an open dialogue about what these stories are and how they are created. Explain to children that an AI is a tool, not a friend, and encourage them to report any strange or uncomfortable interactions, just as they would in the physical world.
The key is to ensure AI complements human interaction, not replaces the comfort of a parent’s voice.
Blowing out the digital candles
Another 43% of all respondents (51% in South Africa) predict family celebrations migrating to video call formats as a standard, not an exception, a trend accelerated by recent global events but now seen as a permanent fixture for dispersed families. Meanwhile a daring 26% (32% in South Africa) can imagine taking family vacations entirely in virtual reality. This sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but then 10 years ago, the type of generative AI being used today was not widely anticipated.
This fragmented outlook highlights that the future of family digital activity will not arrive as a uniform wave, but as a series of adoptions shaped by cultural openness and digital infrastructure. For security leaders like Kaspersky, this evolving landscape presents new vectors for risk within the most intimate of spaces, the smart home.
Preparing the digital home for tomorrow’s family
43% of respondents (46% in South Africa) foresee home robots as family members. Moving beyond voice-activated personal assistants or autonomous vacuum cleaners, these would be embodied AI companions capable of tutoring, playing games, or providing companionship.
In the eyes of hackers, however, every new device, from a VR headset to a robot nanny, is a potential entry point. To keep things secure, change default passwords immediately, ensure all device firmware is regularly updated, and segment your home network. Use Kaspersky Premium with a Smart Home Monitor which scans users’ home Wi-Fi network 24/7, and shows a list of devices connected to it, including such details as device type, OS and IP address, and alerts when a new or unknown device connects.
As robots, AI, and VR devices become part of the family circle, security must be foundational, not an afterthought.
“The accelerating pace of technology is not fragmenting the family but redefining its shared spaces. The future, as seen by the global majority, is one where digital and physical experiences blend to create new forms of togetherness, from a grandparent joining a birthday party via hologram to a child caring for a digital pet with a sibling across the globe. The challenge and opportunity lie in building secure digital environments with intention, ensuring they are safe, respectful, and ultimately, tools that bring us closer,” comments Seifallah Jedidi, Head of Consumer Channel for META at Kaspersky.
