The fact that people have, to a large extent, stopped visiting their relatives is both strange and scary. Economic problems and even the affected way in which people dress are to blame for this alienation, with many families these days preferring to keep themselves to themselves. “The community has recently begun to disintegrate and the way people treat their relatives reflects this. People are unwilling to spend a lot of time together," Um Mohamed, a vendor, told The Egyptian Gazette. According to Um Mohamed, people's hearts have changed; they are now looking inside each other, wondering why so and so said such and such a thing. “I've cut back on my visits to my relatives to avoid problems; these days, we make the visits very quick or just keep in touch by phone," she explained. “The cost of living has skyrocketed and most people earn very little money. These factors mean that visits from relatives have become a heavy burden on households," Hassan Ali, a teacher, told this newspaper. He added that people are embarrassed to visit their relatives, because the latter feel obliged to spend a lot of money on entertaining them lavishly. A lot of couples have to work very long hours every day while mobiles and the Internet are damaging many relationships. “People are busy with their jobs and don't feel like visiting anyone anymore," Inas el-Bana, a journalist at Al-Youm Al-Sabea, told the same paper. “There are some obstacles, but that does not stop me from communicating with my relatives, although we talk in a rather affected manner to each other," she added. “The affectation and competition among relatives contribute to the alienation, especially with society women, who insist on wearing new clothes on every visit," Samar Hassan, an accountant, commented. “Technical devices like mobiles are to blame for the fact that relatives and friends no longer visit each other. I talk to my relatives every week on the phone and I don't feel very close to them," said Hamida Khalaf, a young housewife. “Many people phone because they have no time or money to visit. I do not like relatives with young children visiting me, because they break things and mess up my flat. I don't visit them either," she explained. “There are many reasons for a sharp decline in visits between relatives such as lack of money and time, and fear of angering each other," explained Dr Manal Sobhi, a sociologist. “Nowadays, people only visit their relatives on the religious feasts and on the occasion of a family wedding or death. These visits have become very formal and boring".
