Technology is an easy way to stay in touch with your friends and family. Messenger is good for short answers. Face time is used a lot. Skype is not used as often anymore. Whatsapp is another option for many.
I use gmail for emailing, but I also use the Google Gmail chat feature. It’s easy, shows when you are online and available, for typing quick conversations back and forth without having to use a camera or mic. I often will check in, and find my friend also is checking. Great for chitchats of a half hour or so. You can simply type a line or two, and when the friend checks the chat feature, there is your message.
Also, Google Meet is very handy. That uses a mic, so like a phone conversation, but no need to use a camera if you aren’t ready for company. If you are, it’s great to see each other face to face, without using your cell phone for the call.
Which communications with friends are you using the most? Which is the most comfortable app for you to communicate with?
The only online communication i use is email, have used skype before, to be in contact with friends who have moved to far flung places, i still see those friends, but at family, M’ladys or friends places nowadays
Otherwise first and foremost, it has always been, and will forever be face to face interaction, followed by phone calls and texts, have never signed up to Faceache, Whatscrap etc etc, i only use forums like this to kill an hour or three, for word games and to add my tuppence worth to the odd thread or two
However, i thoroughly encourage those who cannot, for whatever reason, have face to face interaction, to use such platforms, if they wish to do so, for socialising purposes, it’s a poor substitution for face to face interaction, but a necessary one if that is not possible
Everyone I know uses Whatsapp. I didn’t want to use it to start with (because the old phone had limited storage) but you end up having to adapt to your social circle. I loathe messenger because I found out by accident that anyone on your friends list can call you using that facility even if you hardly know them. whatsapp is also a risk if someone has your contact details, but less likely to be able to find you. I took FB messenger off the phone because someone I didn’t want to talk to & hadn’t given my no. to started calling me in the middle of the night. I just check messages when I go on the laptop.
We tried doing face calls in whatsapp during lockdown and it was very clunky. I see Darren has mentioned Skype - I used to love that when abroad. It was a great way to call someone at home without the mobile costs years ago.
Some friends don’t like whatsapp much and prefer to use SMS text messages. These are people who believe we are being spied on. These days I’m starting to think they are probably right to stay away from these apps. Who knows who is eavesdropping. We take our phones everywhere and it “listens” to conversations. I know this because I will end a call and suddenly ads appear on my social media ref something we discussed! Realise it’s an AI bot listening but it must be recording the information somewhere in the ether of WWW.
My kids often contact me on Whatsapp to use the video facility, personally I just use the phone call to talk to friends and relatives anywhere in the world. I don’t feel any great need to see them while I talk and with unlimited calls and texts worldwide why would you bother with anything else?
I am a fan of the Thunderbird mail reader with its many addins, it manages my seven email accounts with ease.
We use Whats App a lot recently via phone connections or text if you just want to say something short so that is preferred for us as no need see them face to face as it can put you off…As in you want to look your best haha but can’t always be so well presented.as you would wish.
We talk to old friends around the world that way as well…
I mostly agree with you, Darren. The face to face interaction seems to the best way to get a true feel for the other person’s general personality. It is most advantageous when reaching out to friends in another state, or country, to use the technology. Keeping in touch is important to friendships.
I have found that when using the different apps, the men seem to prefer the visual interactions. As for myself, there is a lot to be said for listening to the tone of voice, inflections and speed of answering tells me a lot.
Having said this, the gmail, or skype options eliminates the cost of cell phone calls. Using a tablet or desktop. What’s App is using data from the phones, also.
After a short period of time during 2018 when I visited England, the friends I met there gave me access to What’s App to stay in touch. I found it annoying. as you say, too many acquaintances were calling at a whim. Too many folks to answer to, took a lot of my time. I rarely use messenger, but a few of my friends will reach out through the app. I am not comfortable with that for the reason you mentioned. AI bots are listening.
WhatsApp for family and friends, it’s quick, simple, easy and efficient, text, phone, or video function… great!!
I’ve recently been using Google Meet for chatting for prearranged chats… great too!! Yep, it is good to actually see who you’re talking to, under the right circumstances of course
Thanks Maree perhaps they added that in the years since I deleted the app. I think it was at least 6-8 years ago I stopped using it. May check it out now.
Normally Whatsapp is only on my phone but I sometimes use it on my computer using the “Linked Devices” menu item and scanning the QR code. It works well for transferring files etc and is temporary.
I use ‘Phone Link’ on the computer (links in the same way as WhatsApp) . It’s a handy way to get photographs from the phone to the computer. It can be used for text messaging as well.
