It’s not just millennials that are social-media obsessed these days. Smartphones are a godsend for those who want to stay virtually connected with their friends and family but can’t stand spending hours on end scrolling through their phones. It’s also helpful to chat with them from anywhere, anytime, as you age.
Unfortunately, while staying connected is great for your mental health, it can also be mentally draining. Keeping up with social media notifications, new accounts being created and posted, and constant requests for likes and comments can quickly wear down even the most self-disciplined of people. Here are ways that staying in touch with family and friends as you age might become easier for you:
Facebook has more users than any other social media platform. It also has more members than most countries, making it one of the most popular ways to stay in contact with your friends. You can set up Facebook Safety Zones so that only people you choose to “friend” can contact you. This setting also lets you set time-based rules for when you want to be able to get other Facebook users.
Nextdoor
Nextdoor, which Facebook acquired, lets you maintain contact with your next-door neighborhood even when you’re not present. You can choose to maintain contact with your entire neighborhood, or you can select the towns and cities around you that you would like to maintain contact with. Anyone in your neighborhood can invite you to join a neighborhood support group or a neighborhood watch, so even if you’re thousands of miles away from home, you can still stay connected with your neighborhood.
FaceTime
FaceTime is a video call service that allows you to call people wherever they are in the world and talk to them with an attached voice interface. This video phone service was first released in June of 2010, and it is still in heavy usage today, with more than 2 billion video calls sent and received each day across all devices. FaceTime, like Nextdoor, offers a mobile app for both iOS and Android devices.
Skype
Skype is a free voice and video chat service that allows you to stay connected with friends and family worldwide. You can use the service to call other Skype users or talk to a friend who lives far away. You can also use Skype to send messages to other Skype users or create a group video call. Just remember to pair your phone with a Skype account so you can stay in contact with family and friends as you age.
Google Hangouts
Google Hangouts is a platform that lets you make video calls with people from all over the world. You can use Hangouts to talk to friends, family members, and strangers. You can also use it to send video messages and share photos with others in the chat room. You can set up Google Hangouts calls in the Hangouts app or on Google’s website.
In addition to communications apps, social media platforms, and VR services, Instagram is a new way to stay in touch with family and friends as you age. It’s similar to Facebook but focused on images. You can use Instagram to take photos, upload videos, or share moments from your day.
Netflix Party
Sniff Netflix While You Watch is a fun way to share a Netflix subscription with family and friends. You can use it to watch movies and TV shows on Netflix, or to share your membership with your favorite members. This app also lets you set up “party chats” with other members so you can talk to them anytime you want.
Readeo
Readeo is similar to Netflix Party; only it’s for books. You can use it to read books you borrowed from the library or to read books you want to borrow. You can also share your reading progress with your friends and ask for suggestions on books to read next.
