Stay Connected with Skype and FaceTime

by Marty Duren on Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Separation is never easy. As modern families travel separately and move apart, staying in touch can be a challenge. But two relatively new means of communication in particular are bringing family members face to face even when they are miles apart: Skype, which can be used free with a normal computer and some tablet computers, and FaceTime, which is available preloaded on newer iPhones and iPads.

Face-to-face Communication

Skype allows both video and audio for any two people with the program installed and an Internet connection. Using a microphone and USB camera (both of which are generally built into newer computer models), users can talk and see each other during the call.
Steve and Kay Hortman of Locust Grove, Ga., used Skype almost every weekend when their daughter Kalina was on a nine-month missions trip in China.
"Using Skype really lets you get a better feel for being with the person even though you're half a world away," they say. "It really helped our emotional stability to be able to see Kalina's facial expressions while we were communicating — to hear her voice. It makes for a more enriching time of talking than having to email or text message back and forth."
FaceTime, a tool available over Internet or iPhone/iPad data plans, allows face-to-face conversations via the front facing camera on each device. Each face shows on each screen for a conversational experience.
Jason and Terah Sampler of Louisiana used FaceTime when a new job took Jason out of town for an extended period of time.
"I absolutely hate talking on the phone," admits Terah. "I like face-to-face interaction, and FaceTime provided that. For those long months when Jason was out of town so much, our marriage would have lacked substantially without it.
I relied heavily on seeing his reactions, and I express myself through facial expressions and body language. FaceTime really was a huge blessing."

See You Soon

The ability to see facial expressions and body language is important to another group: single Boomers. Recent statistics show that nearly one-third of Baby Boomers are single.
Skype and FaceTime provide a helpful tool if or when a relationship is pursued and can provide an ideal get-to-know-you environment.

Look at This

Others have found Skype and FaceTime to be especially effective in keeping children in touch with grandparents. The daughter of Boomer parents, Cristina Bailey notes how the visual aspect is better than mere audio with preschoolers.
"For us, it's better than a regular phone call. Whenever we're talking to someone on a regular call, we often put it on speaker so our oldest can say hi, but (the younger kids) want to show the person different things. We have a 2-year-old and a 1-year-old, and Skype helps the kids talk to their grandparents." She continues, "They get excited when they see their grand-parents (on the screen), and our family members enjoy getting to see (our kids) grow during these early years."
This article is courtesy of More Living Magazine.
Marty Duren is the social media strategist for LifeWay Christian Resources.