October 17, 2008
Technology-Love-Connection – “Reaching out” using the internet – part two
[Editorial note: This week, we are pleased to welcome back our featured guest author, Grama Barb, a popular "Lensmaster", who has authored over 150 articles at Squdoo.com.]
Reaching out to family through the use of the internet has been one of the biggest blessings of this age of technology online. All grandparents should be online just for the ease and speed of communication. The internet certainly is a big factor in my life for staying connected and reconnecting with family and friends. I am not a very good telephone communicator and therefore email has improved communications in my family whether it is just across town or half way around the world.
Sharing family pictures is a really important activity in my life as a grandmother, especially when you factor in the other piece of technology that is a must – the digital camera! That little camera is perfect for all photograph-fanatic grandparents. Now we can take 100 pictures without going broke developing them. And the best part – we can share them almost instantly on the internet. Case in point – my husband’s sister just became a great grandmother to twins. I already have seen an adorable picture of them!
Don’t forget that by being online, you are making it much easier for your children and grandchildren to reach out and share with you. A few weeks ago there was an open house event at my granddaughter’s school that I was looking forward to going to, but my health was not very good at the time and I had to stay home. My son had his cell phone with picture taking capabilities with him and he took really cute pictures and sent them “instantly” from the school. It was almost as good as being there! Talk about experiencing TLC – Technology, Love, Connection! Reaching out is a two way street.
Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one. ~Jane Howard
Technology, Love and Connection is a great way to ward off depression that often accompanies growing old and the feeling of being left out – cut off from friends and family. I see it here where I live at a seniors assisted living complex all the time. Those who have a computer and are online are doing much better as they are busy emailing family and friends all the time. Those who don’t are often sad that they don’t see their grown grandchildren very much anymore as often they are now living in other parts of the world. Even one “You’ve got mail” a day would cheer a grandmother and grandfather’s heart! It takes so little TLC to Reach Out!
Part one: Technology-Love-Connection - How it all began in Grama Barb’s life
Read Grama Barb’s informative article on digit cameras and digital photo frames.
If you enjoyed this article, we invite you to bookmark it and email it to a friend!
Filed under Connecting, TLC by Grama Barb
Comments on Technology-Love-Connection – “Reaching out” using the internet – part two
Thank you for your story Grama Barb.
I love the everyday activity, informal pictures that my grandchildren sent. So much of the connections that we feel happen in the tiny moments, funny and touching that occur daily. With the technology available today I can be as almost involved as if I lived on the same street. It is just a matter of how often we up load and share photos and webcam visits. This also allows me to share the details of my life, work and community with my grandchildren so that when the grandchildren visit everything is familiar to them.
Gramma Barb, you’ve done it again!
Thank you for sharing you story with our readers! I hope grandparents that are already on the internet will be inspired to connect with their family. I hope those readers who have grandparents that are older, and not yet too tech savvy, will encourage them to get online and have fun connecting. Email grandkids, ask for digital photos and links to family blogs and photo albums.
Thanks, Grandpa Shayne
Hi guys,
I was reading through this blog and was just wondering if you all could fill out a survey for me. I’m a student at University of Pennsylvania and my marketing class is currently studying tech-savvy grandparents. This survey can help us see what grandparents like you are interested in seeing in the future digital photo industry and we’d greatly appreciate any help we can get. Feel free to email me if you have any additional comments or ideas! Thanks!
Please fill out this short survey and be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com. The survey should only take about 10 minutes and will greatly help us in our research project for class.
http://wharton.qualtrics.com/SE?SID=SV_9Kyh1ZKs2JlmoM4&SVID=Prod
Thank you so much!
When I’m a grandfather (I have 20 something kids, so how far of can it be?) I’d like to be in posession of
1. Easy to use video phone
2. Share photo’s online
3, Free VOIP phone service so I can tlak to my hearts delight.
4. IM my son/daughter on a regular basis.
5. Have a family Facebook gathering place to talk on a regular basis.
6. Embrace technology……I NEVER want to be on the wrong side of the digital divide.
I agree with the online communication. I have been on the computer and learning more and more since 1985. My brother and I communicate over skype – so he gets to see my kids and grandkids and talk to them. My 94 year old mother will not allow anyone to get her on a computer. if she would, she could see her great grandkids. This would be great living several states apart, but with her ability to get around decreases, if she were in town or an hour away, the internet communication would be great for video calls, sharing pictures, etc. Grandparents need to keep up with the times and communicate with the younger generations on the media the kids are comfortable with. Great post.
I live in an assisted living residence and there is a 93 yr old lady in here who is on her computer everyday emailing her family and researching everything from medical problems to the race for the US President! She is so bright! A great way for seniors to stay in touch! On the flip side – I have an Aunt who won’t go online either – I think it is fear of the unknown.
@Stephanie, Thanks for letting us know about your survey. I took it, and encourage others to do so.
@Frank, Thanks for the list. I have and do all those, and it really makes a difference. And VoIP has cut my phone bill in half.
@Joy, Thanks for stopping by. You are so right about us grandparents keeping up with the times. Hey, it’s all about families.
@Grama Barb, Tell your 93 year old friend that we think she’s cool.
Perhaps we can help your Aunt cut through the fear.
If technology can help bring the family together, then find a way to use it. I hope our blog provides you with ideas and inspiration to learn new technologies, and the instruction to make it easy.
- Shayne
I couldn’t agree more. Using the internet to stay in touch with my children and grandchildren has, I am sure, kept me sane for the last 6 years, which is when I first became a Grandmother. At that time I was living in Hong Kong, and am now in Borneo. My daughter and her family are in the UK, and my son and his are in Australia.
I am writing an article about the quality of the relationship between grandparents and grandchildren when they may not actually see each other for many months. Does anyone have any comments about this? Does the technology really help at a deeper level?
@Margaret, I believe communication is the “master key” to healthy, loving relationships. Technology provides a vehicle for communicating with family members that aren’t able to be with each other often. It has been my experience that technology really does enable a deeper bond between family members across the miles.
Technology-Love-Connection - How it all began in Grama Barb’s life - part one « Grandparents TLC @ 1:18 am
[...] Read part two: TLC: “Reaching out” through the introduction of the internet [...]
There is an interesting new site at http://www.grannyconnect.com
What do you think? I like the idea of the idea of the communication containing more substance and something to be able to look back on some day.