The influence of the 4th industrial revolution on family cohesion–A systematic review protocol

Humanity may be facing untold threats and possible benefits as a result of the burgeoning 4th Industrial Revolution. New technologies introduced by the 4th Industrial Revolution have been purported to be gradually diminishing humans’ capacities like compassion and cooperation. Challenges such as security, trust, liability and personal data privacy issues are also being triggered which calls for stricter regulations. Emerging digital innovations allegedly attempts to widen the social and economic gap between the elites and the non-elites or the rich and the poor. Furthermore, other literature has pinpointed some of these propositions as skewed and biased, tending to ignore some other salient issues. The family, as a microcosm of a larger society, is certainly influenced by these technological interplay. It is therefore of great importance that keen attention is given to the family unit and its proper coherence and functioning within the sphere of the burgeoning terrain of the 4th Industrial Revolution. As such, this study seeks to undertake a systematic review by identifying, summarising and synthesising currently available research on the relationships between the emerging 4th Industrial Revolution and family cohesion.