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| Modern Family FaceTime |
20 years ago, if you
left your country, the best way to keep contact with your family and friends was
through letters. It sounds distant, but 20 years ago is really not a long time. Communications have evolved rapidly and have changed our life along the way. Here are some facts:
- Communications were not as developed: in 1995, the World Wide Web had just been launched and the internet had only 16 million users worldwide. Today, over 3 billion people have access to the internet, which represents 40% of the world population.
- PCs dominated the computer market and they were starting to settle in our homes.
- Mobile phones were starting to kick-in: most of the cellphones remained analog, they were expensive and they couldn’t connect to the internet.
- Long-distance phone calls carried a higher rate.
Thankfully, times have
changed. Today, we not only have a widespread internet use, but we also have
social media and mobile connectivity in our lives. When you immigrate, social
media and connectivity gain a whole new meaning. It’s not just about been
informed, it’s really about being connected to your loved ones.
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| Skype |
Moreover, I can keep
up with everything that’s happening in my community and my country. A famous
Venezuelan comedian said that “being in Venezuela is just a mental state.” And
this does not only apply to my country, this is valid for everyone. This is
possible because of social media and mobile connectivity. We are now updated
and informed in real time about everything that’s going on in different parts of the world. Furthermore, we can take an active role in the conversation.
On social media your
voice matters. You can be out of your country and still be a social media
influencer from any corner of the world. You can be an active part of the conversation:
you can make suggestions and reach different people, including decision makers.
Even though you are away, you still belong to the community.
Today, social media
has evolved to become a crucial marketing tool. This is a great achievement:
the brands that we like know what we buy and how to sell it to us. However,
social media is more than a marketing tool. For immigrants, social media keeps
you connected with others. It shortens the distance between you and your loved
ones. From this perspective, immigration becomes so much easier.
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| Social media platforms |
So, what’s your
preferred social media platform to stay connected?
Hi Eskeila, Great post :) I'm dating myself now, but I remember just how expensive it was to call long distance - even to the next town! Wow, technology has come a long way. Having the ability to stay in touch with our friends and family is something we should not take for granted. I'd say FaceTime is my faave, I use it everyday.
ReplyDeleteIts really nice to see a the positive side effects of technology, and social media. Far to often you see how social media is being used negatively to disconnect and harm others. But, social media is such a crucial tool for many to stay connected with family and friends. I have family in florida and skype with them all the time. Loved reading this!
ReplyDeleteI like this post and loved to read it. Talking about staying connected with everyone back in home country, is not that difficult. Now a days we have amazing new apps on our devices that we can do long distance calls with minimum call rate. Moreover the video call apps that work on Wifi (internet) like Skype, Facebook Messenger, Viber, etc. has made our lives easy and as you said we can not miss the important moments with family.
ReplyDeleteIts been two years I am away form my family and friends, but I don't feel like I am missing something. Of course I miss their physical presence but we stay connected via social media platform.
My preferred social media platform is Facebook through which I stay connected with my friends and "Raza.com" is an app which allows me to call my parents back in India as a normal call with minimum call rate.
Thanks Eskeila for sharing your thoughts.
Social Media has changed the world we live in. It's amazing how the world bring us together. I have a friend who lives in Japan but thanks to social media we still communicate daily.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Jon, Social Media has made communication so easy and fast, that we can keep in touch with anyone at anytime. My father tells me stories of his childhood days, I feel lucky that I am from this generation.
ReplyDeleteSocial media is such important part of our lives now.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're able to have an easy, reliable method of communication with your family and community. It can be tough being apart, but it's nice that technology can help make the world just a little bit smaller.
ReplyDeleteAs for your question, my most used social media is probably Facebook. It allows me to keep in tangential contact with old friends from high school and college.
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ReplyDeleteI have been writing on my blog for a few years, but only recently updated my site. My own social activities also serve to build traffic to my sites, where I generate passive income. tiktok
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ReplyDelete