Why is the language of family being increasingly used to describe pets?

I came of age when computers were a geeky subset of ham radio operators, coding was done in FORTRAN on UNIVAC vacuum tubes, and social media was the call-in line of the local AM radio station. In the intervening years, the social role of our family pets has changed significantly. Here's my take on why:

With the advent of the internet -- more specifically social media – came the option of conducting one's social life online. Within the last twenty years or so, society has adapted to the point where it is now possible to live one's life devoid of actual physical companionship -- or if we work out of the home, even face-to-face interactions. And when we do socialize, increasingly all involved are buried in their screens, beholden to their virtual persona.

For many of us, our domestic pets are literally our closest physical relationships-- and as more and more of us choose to remain single and childless, our sole roommates (and who can afford acreage for them to roam anymore, so they live in our houses and apartments, not our back yards.) They sleep in our beds, eat in our kitchens, use our bathrooms and share our living spaces with us. They accompany us on our workouts and shopping rounds- even go out to lunch in our purses. In short, they are not just "treated" as members of the family, in many cases they ARE our family. (And have you checked out the cost of veterinary care lately?)

Secondly, selective breeding has continued to create more and more responsive and intuitive pets with personalities more and more suited to sharing indoor human living spaces. Accordingly, businesses have become more beast-friendly (see: "service" animals,) and it's not particularly unusual to see dogs in particular in restaurants, on public transport and accompanying us as plus-ones at indoor social gathering places. This never would have happened up until around the turn of the century, when only guide dogs for the blind were routinely allowed into public spaces.

And finally, and perhaps most tellingly, in a time of diminishing appropriate mating material, "lap" dogs have become our intimates-- and not just emotionally. Clean and healthy, monogamous, willing, undemanding, eager and effective little flesh dildos, I know I've been amazed in recent years by the number of women friends who openly admit that their dog gets then off far more efficiently and reliably – and with far less muss and bother -- than their SO does. After all, one doesn't need to shower, do one's hair and makeup, put together an outfit, bother with flirtation, spend any money or shave one's legs. All little Bailey or little Bella need is a smear of peanut butter and a kind word of encouragement, and . . . instant gratification with no annoying breakups in the aftermath.

With all this bonding going on-- even as our human interactions become more perfunctory-- is it any wonder our pets are spoken of as family?

/r/TrueAskReddit Thread