My Family and Digital Media

Brainstorm for different ways my family benefits and stays connected through digital media:

1. Cell phones
1. Constant contact
2. Texting
3. Calls
4. Picture messages of funny things we see, special photos and hilarious cartoons my brother draws
2. Skype
1. Siblings live all over—New York, Florida, Nevada, and Utah
2. I could skype my family while I was in London on a Study Abroad
3. Facebook
1. Pictures
2. Posts and Comments
3. Links to articles and websites we want to share with each other
4. Extended family groups
5. On-going message with my five girlfriends from high school. We've had to create new messages since we've emailed so much that we reached the limit on Facebook messaging. We're spread all over the world now, but we're still close. They are a bit like family to me. I've know some of them since 3rd grade. We are currently in Boise, Idaho; Logan, UT; Provo, UT; Honduras; France; and soon to be New Zealand. And now we have an awesome history online of our lives through college. Detailed and personal—stuff you would only tell your closest friends.
4. Email
1. Event planning—reunions, parties, trips
2. Family history tips and stories
3. My dad sends out actual stories he has collected, even typed, and I can save them in a file on my computer
4. We often start long hilarious conversations by replying to all in response to reunion and trip plans—they can get pretty crazy
5. Share pictures—from trips together, presents we want
6. Gift lists
7. Spiritual messages—sharing our testimonies, articles
5. YouTube:
1. Nephews share funny videos with my family—we can connect with them on a higher level than usual—these two are ten and twelve
2. Dance parties in the kitchen
6. Private Blog
1. Titled: Close to You—play on words from a family inside joke
2. Funny moments—my sisters' kids are hilarious
3. Pictures—trips, kids, ceramics, Florida, New York, funny cartoons, Lake Tahoe...etc.
4. Examples:

• Elly's post 

 Today's Becca Story:

Brian and I watched a scary movie in our room last night and so I wouldn't let Becca climb in our bed. She cried herself to sleep.

But the thing with Becca is, she has a long memory.

When I went to give her a hug this morning, she made a very sad face and said, "Mom, I had a bad feeling last night because of you..." And her little lip quivered.

Poor baby.

So I gathered her in my arms and we watched Little Einsteins together and she forgave me. 

• Tori's post:
 As if you all aren't tired of the Facebook plethora of first day of school pics, right? 

I guess you could say ours is a little different because well, let's just say there are cute shots of Owen and Miles and then there are, well, ones like this...

Anyway, those are just a few ways my family uses digital media to bring us together.