subject: Staying Connected to Family Through Facebook [print this page] Remember when you would go to family reunions and meet up with relatives you hadn't seen for at least a year or more? Remember how awkward it was to get to know each other again? It would take some time for everyone to feel comfortable with each other. Then you would spend hours catching up and getting reacquainted. Well, with the introduction of social websites such as Facebook, your distant relatives don't need to be strangers anymore!
Facebook has opened up a whole new realm of staying in touch with faraway friends and family. You can share pictures, give family updates, even plan family reunions! The internet and sites such as Facebook have created a way for families to stay connected almost like they lived next door.
Recently I attended a wedding where I ran into several family members that I hadn't seen in person for over a year. However, since we are Facebook friends there was no awkward getting to know you again phase. We embraced and chatted like we had just been together yesterday. I knew what was going on in their lives and they knew what was going on in mine. In fact, because we had stayed in touch because of the internet, we actually had more things to talk about!
In addition to keeping families connected on a social level, websites such as Facebook give us a place to share family history. It is possible to create a family page and invite other family members to join that page. Then everyone has access to photos and stories that others post. It is a great way to stay connected to our past and teach our children about their ancestors.
You can also set up pages to plan family events such as reunions and parties. It is simple to set up an event and send out invitations to the family group. The members can confirm if they will be attending the event or not. Think of this system as a modern day RSVP. By having all your reunion planning in one place, it will make it easy to make food assignments, plan games and fun, and make accommodations for out of town guests.
Social websites were started to help people stay connected with family and friends. So far this website is serving its purpose well. Families are staying connected in a way that is easy and fun to do. After all, posting a comment to someone's status is easy and fast. Even if you are pressed for time you can stay connected with family using Facebook.
