The extended family (grandparents, cousins, aunt and uncle) is less important now than it was in the past.
Being in a large family is a precious thing that unfortunately does not happen to everybody. Many family members argue and do not get on well with each other. Even though this could happen, I personally believe that having a family is now valuable more than ever. I feel this way for two main reasons which I will explore in the following essay.
To begin with, many people prefer friends than family because they claim that they can choose a friend, while they cannot choose a relative. Although it is true, I think that with a family member you can have a strong and true relationship. You usually live with them and you spend many important times in your life together. To be more specific, you pass relevant moments together, for example a birthday, a graduation or a wedding. During these occasions you share strong feelings that allow to make the relationship much stronger. For instance, when my uncle was ill and was recovering at the hospital, I became very close to my cousin. Indeed, she was really sad and suffered from her father's state of health. I tried to spend time with her to cheer her up and we became good friends.
Secondly, many people say that nowadays you do not need a family anymore because it is hard to stay in touch with them, since the majority of people go to work abroad. I do not agree with that. Of course, I have to admit that it is more difficult to keep the relationship because of the distance but in these days there are many ways to remain in contact. For example, you can video call. My personal experience is a compelling example of this. During my high school I went one year to study abroad. At the beginning it was hard to keep in touch with my family, but I always managed to have a call with any of them once in a while. I was very happy to discover that even though we spent less time together, our relationship would have grew stronger than ever. In fact, when I called them, I knew that I did not have much to time to do it. As a result, I tried to enjoy the most of it and take advantage of the call as its best.
In conclusion, I strongly believe that family is essential in this age. This is because the relationship is stronger than the one with your friends, and because with the internet it is easier to stay in contact with them.