The extended family (grandparents, cousins, and uncles) is less important now than it was in the past.

The statement shows that the extended family is not as important as past. This allegation requires more valid evidences to support it, or I find this claim to be specious. More reasons and details will be illustrated in the following paragraphs.

This could be vivid scenery: you can play with your cousin in the little mountain after the school. You go the grocery store to buy ice-cream every afternoon. Or maybe you fighting for a toy are impressive to you the most. Cousins would be your good partner when you are young. However, the time that student have go to school is younger than before, and the cousins don’t live nearby with you. The relation between cousins and you is more aloof than before. If you need help immediately, cousins might not give you a hand quickly, or they may not know what happen with you. Thus, the extended family is not as important as before.

Living in big city is not as easily as before. Purchasing a house, keeping a family and raising a kid are very expensive. The government has reported that the more people live together can save more money, since they can share the expenditure. The grandparents can take care of their grandson for saving the expenditure of baby sister. The rent of the house can be reduced by more people to share it. The most important is that if family can pay the tax together, it can be cut profoundly. Hence, the merits of extended family are so considerable.

We cannot live without extended family. For another reason, family is our most powerful backup. How could you ask a fried to help you without remunerations? The news which is reported a month ago is a good example. An aircraft accident happened in the Asia. Most of the traveler is not found. We can see the member of the extended family go to the airport. They fly to other country to find their family and they are only one who cares about their family.

In a nutshell, this statement should be addressed on case by case basis. Without more compelling reasons this allegations may go too far.