One positive result of this quarantine has been seeing so many people become acutely aware of their need for genuine human contact and community. There is a lot that can be said about technology and the way it’s changed human relationships in the last 50 years, but that’s another blog post. This one is simply a fun look at some of the ways technology can keep you connected to people you love and even meet new people while you are saving the world by hiding out in your house.
Video Chats
This one is the most obvious, but also one of the most utilized and needed gap measures while we are restricted from meeting in person. Whether you use FaceTime (works great, but only with Apple products) or Google Hangouts or Skype or Zoom or some other app, being able to see your friends and loved ones while speaking and catching up is a great thing. It allows for some of the non verbals associated with communication in conversation, and that can help increase connection. Scheduling calls with family and friends instead of going out is a wonderful way to keep building relationships in this time!
Social Media
As you may know, there are very good reasons that social media gets a bad rap, but it can also help us connect to a virtual neighborhood of people that we don’t have direct access to in everyday life. Rather than using social media as life’s highlight reel and competing for likes, using it for the encouragement of others and sharing joy can be a bright spot in everyone’s day. Social media can also be a very helpful way of sharing critical information. The enormous caveat here is that our Information Age is more aptly described as the Disinformation Age right now, so before hitting that “share” button, please double-check your source and the information contained within. We will collectively be better for it!
Email
Although email is young in human history, it already feels old in the midst of today’s technological advancements. But like a handwritten letter, a carefully composed and thoughtful email can be the best venue for topics that require more words than a text or direct message but more space for refinement than a verbal conversation. Think about sending one or two people a week a long form email for their encouragement or to share a chunk of your life they might have missed in the chaos of the last few weeks. It is like letters, but without the germs!
Please let us know what other technology you have found encouraging in connecting with others in this time!
Dan Pahlau has been on staff at Faith for nine years. He serves as our Worship Ministries Director, coordinating and leading all that goes into our Sunday worship. He loves building teams and developing relationships with people.
Dan is a Fort Collins native who enjoys roasting and brewing coffee, staying active and quoting “The Office.”