Many people are self-isolating due to the COVID-19 virus. This means our “normal” routines are disrupted and our ability to maintain our most valued relationships has been affected. However, technology today means we can be more connected now than ever before.
We reveal some of the best ways to stay in touch with family and friends using technology and social media.
How to stay connected through social media
Group chats
Group chats are the perfect way to keep in touch with multiple family members or friends through times like these! It is an easy place where the group can send a quick question or photo that can soon turn into spontaneous conversations about upcoming plans or what has been going on lately, making it a great way to keep close and have daily conversations about the small things that matter.
Create a group chat on Whatsapp, iMessage, Facebook Messenger or alternative platforms to stay connected to loved ones while social distancing.
Video calls
Video calls are perfect for getting valuable face time with friends and family. Face-to-face interaction is valuable and a video call can feel more personal than your average phone call. Download apps such as Snapchat that allow you to get creative with pictures and videos with filters that can be great fun for children to send messages to loved ones. You can also have fun with group calls on Snapchat to get up to 16 of you together. House Party is another similar app, that allows users to video call in a group of up to eight people to have a virtual party where you can play games or catch up all together.
Get creative - set regular dates and times to catch up with loved ones. You could organise breakfast dates or for the grandparents to read a bedtime story to the children.
Create a shared online photo album
Creating an online photo album for the whole family to enjoy is the perfect way to share everyone’s photos and videos in one place. You don’t have to spend time selecting the best ones for social media as your family will love to see all the latest photos of the grandchildren playing, the new recipe you tried or your latest holiday snaps.
Creating shared albums on the Google Photos app or the Amazon Photos app are an easy way for the whole family to get involved. The best part is most people already have accounts with these platforms so it’s simple to set up.
Create a private group on social media
Sometimes there are parts of our lives we don’t want to share with everyone we know, which can limit what our close friends and family get to see. On Instagram, you can create a ‘close friends’ list so that Stories are only shown to selected followers. Facebook allows any user to create a closed group, which can only be accessed by approved members. With Snapchat Groups, you can instant message with photos and videos or video chat in a group of up to 16 people.
Create your own group with your family to share photos or videos of the children, upcoming family events, books to read, recipes to try and more.
Family-Friendly Platforms
Long distance family apps are perfect for secure and private communication and media sharing. Facebook can be unsafe for children meaning they can’t interact on the platform the way you can, but family social media apps can be controlled and secure.
There are lots of different platforms you can find online. Created by former Facebook employees, Cocoon is a social platform dedicated to communicating with your family, allowing secure sharing of images, videos, statuses and instant messaging.
Staying safe online must be kept a priority, especially if you are allowing younger children to go online. From learning about the technology you are using, to setting boundaries and many more, check out 10 Internet Safety Tips right here.
Create a blog
A blog can be accessed and shared by anyone without the need for friends to create an account or learn to navigate around a new platform. Blogging can be a way to create a completely personalised page full of your photos, videos or posts about your latest events, trips, recipes and more. It’s also a fun and engaging project to work on while in isolation. Any close friends and family can easily catch up and feel closer to you just by going online.
Are you a beginner to blogging? Don’t worry! Check out these 16 top tips and you’ll be a pro in no time! To get you started, try platforms such as Wix or Wordpress. These are a couple of easy-to-use website makers with customisable templates perfect for blogging.
Contact us
Our Fine & Country agents are on hand to help you with buying, selling or letting your property. Click here to find your nearest Fine & Country office and get started on your property search today.