Digital Disruption in Family Living: A Multilevel Perspective in the Midst of Cultural Traditions and Socio-Economic Inequality

Abstract

Rapid digital change is shifting the way families interact, babysit, and carry out socioeconomic roles, especially in a country with a strong cultural landscape and inequality like Indonesia. The urgency of this study is to understand how digital disruption affects family life in deep-rooted traditions and unequal access to technology. The purpose of this research is to build a multilevel framework that explains the dynamics of digital disruption in the family, by expanding the idea of the Qian and Hu model to suit Indonesian socio-cultural conditions. This research is conceptual with a qualitative synthesis approach, using secondary data from national surveys, research reports for 2024–2025, and crossdisciplinary literature. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify patterns at the micro, meso, and macro levels. The findings show that digital technology strengthens long-distance relationships, but also deepens inequalities between urban and rural families, gives rise to intergenerational conflicts, and changes the function of traditions in digital ecology. The study contributes by offering a contextual framework that highlights the paradox of empowerment and new burdens in the digital family.