The folks at the Pew Internet & American Life Project released the results of a new study today, showing that the growth of technology - think kids with cell phones - hasn’t necessarily hurt family life.

The study, Networked Families, found that households with a married couple and children are more likely than other household types to have cell phones and to use the Internet. That’s not terribly surprising, when you consider how much pressure the parents of today’s children face. I mean, if your kids don’t have cell phones by age 13, charges of neglect may be just around the corner.

What’s interesting, though, is that the study suggests all that technology may actually be keeping families closer. Consider these findings:

• 70% of couples in which both partners own a cell phone contact each other daily to say hello or chat; 54% of couples who have one or no cell phones do this at least once a day.
• 64% of couples in which both partners own a cell phone contact each other daily to coordinate their schedules; 47% of couples who have one or no cell phones do this at least once a day.
• 42% of parents contact their child/children on a daily basis using a cell phone, making cell phones the most popular communications tool between parents and children.

Still, the study found that these tech-heavy families are less likely to spend time together eating meals. They also tend to be a little less satisified with the leisure time they spend with their families.

I don’t have kids myself. And my dogs aren’t allowed cell phones. But I do find myself firing off more frequent notes (in the form of text messages) to my wife, who finally seems to be embracing her cell phone as more than just a tool for emergencies. But I wonder what you parents think about the connections you have with your spouses and your kids. Do cell phones help or hinder those relationships?