Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? The extended family (grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles) is less important now than it was in the past. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

Nowadays, technology, the whole economic system, and the resulting transportation system allows us to travel to places with great distances. As a consequence, studying aboard and working in large cities become popular, even common. Family members, in this kind of society, become separate in different parts of a country, even to foreign lands. Under the circumstances, now nuclear family, which means that only parents and kids live together, comes into a trend in our world. Some may claim that the extended family now becomes less important. However, I disagree with the statement. In my opinion, the importance of extended doesn't change.

First, the members in extended family can be close and true friends in our lifetime. We might lack of some shared habits, same life experiences, or familiarity. But what we have is something that can't be change, that is, we are of the same family. Habits, life experiences, and close feeling can change. On the contrary, the relationship of sharing same fathers, which written deeply in our blood and DNA, can't alter. As a result, we can be real friends for we base on some thing can't change.

Second, only those in the extended family could help us sincerely. Because of the permanent relationship, they probably would not think about some reward while helping each other. On the contrary, it is just like some responsibility. While one of them cry out for help, without second thoughts, others would just run to and stand besides the guy. It is the close and forever blood relationship that can build such a strong relation.

Third, with enough investment of time and effort on building this relationship, we will benefit a lot. One reason some disguise the extended family is the unfamiliarity resulting from the distance. But, with enough investment, no need of large, the relationship can be very strong and beyond distance. The family members can be very close. As a result, we will benefit a lot from such a firm relation.

As three reasons stated above, I disagree with the statement. I insisted that the extended family is still very important.