How Do Gadgets Affect Family Life? ‘Back In Time For The Weekend’ Shows That Gadget-Free 70’s Was Best Decade

There is a new lifestyle TV show that examines how gadgets affect families and which decade was the best for family life. The show is called "Back in Time for the Weekend" and it will air this Feb. 2 on BBC2.

The new series follows an ordinary family from London -- the Ashby Hawkins family -- participating in an educational and enlightening six-week experiment to experience what family and leisure time was for each decade, from the 50s to the future. "The 1970s proved to be one of the happiest times and backed up surveys that say we were the happiest in that decade -- we were totally immersed," the family's father shared with The Guardian.

The family explained that the 70's was the best for their family because of the different leisure activities such as camping, chopper bike riding, card games, visiting a disco and playing indoor golf as well as the lack of gadgets during the time. According to the family, their family was not as happy in the 80's and the following decades because the gadgets and the advanced technology have started to take over their family life.

"When TV and music videos and gadgets started to come into our lives, it started to fragment us somewhat," the father revealed. "It was quite strange ... we could gradually feel being pulled apart. We peaked in the 70s." Other benefits of living during the 70's include learning new skills and building stronger relationships with each other.

According to an article posted in Huffington Post, most parents know that technology is already taking over their family's lives but they do not how to control it. "Pay attention. Ask questions. Monitor the outcome of your choices and make changes when you don't like what you see," the article advised. Hopefully, "Back in Time for the Weekend" can help families go back to gadget-free family time.