Slashdot Mirror
Grandma's On the Computer Screen This Thanksgiving
Pickens writes "Video calling, long anticipated by science fiction, is filtering into everyday use, and two demographic groups not usually thought of as high-tech are among the earliest adopters — the nursery school set and their grandparents. According to the AARP, nearly half of American grandparents live more than 200 miles from at least one of their grandchildren, and about two-thirds of grandchildren see one set of grandparents only a few times a year, if that. Internet companies are also promoting video chat as an enhancement to standard IM and Internet phone services; for example, this month Google introduced bare-bones video capability in Gmail. Some veterans of the technology fear that the video cam has started to substitute, rather than supplement, actual time together. And no one quite knows what it means to a generation of 2-year-olds to have slightly pixelated versions of their grandparents as regular fixtures in their lives."
A bit off topic but, it felt I had to comment about the following statement:
"and about two-thirds of grandchildren see one set of grandparents only a few times a year, if that."
I think kids who get to hang out with their grandparents a lot at an early age are incredibly fortunate these days. I think it's a valuable experience for kids to meet and get to know an older generation. And when they get older, it also can make being a teenager a bit easier if you can talk with people who have a strong influence over your parents, but are also not your parents. Only works for the types who have mellowed out with age, not with the types of grand parents who got crazy with age (or were just crazy to begin with).
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
My biggest issue with video conferencing is that no matter where you place the camera, if you are looking at the person on the screen, to them it looks like you are looking away from them. Put the camera on top of the screen, and your eyes are pointing down from the camera which makes it look like you are lying. Put the camera to the side, and it looks like your thoughts are wandering.
If someone can come up with a camera embedded in the middle of the screen, that would be awesome.
I only saw one set of grandparents about once every 5 years. It seems like having the ability to visit with them on the screen is a bonus, but doesn't make up for grandma making home made cinnamon buns fresh and hot when you get up in the morning.
Keep them out of their lives. Don't tell your parents where you are and tell your kids that grandma and grampa are dead. Problem solved.