Do you have a long-distance relationship with your kids and grandkids? Do you wish you could see and chat with them more often, and build a special bond? Whether you live 20 or 2,000 miles away from your loved ones, technology gives you the ability to see them daily.
Enter, Facebook Messenger. You already knew Facebook was a great way to keep people informed about what you have been up to and see the statuses of your Facebook friends, but there is even more to it than that. The Messenger app by Facebook gives you the ability to keep long-distance communication alive and well with all of the people you have friended on Facebook. These Messenger conversations are kept private, and can only be seen between you and the people you are talking to.
One-on-One Messages
One-on-one messaging in Facebook Messenger is perfect for sending random messages throughout the day, without people feeling obligated to reply back instantly as text messaging implies. A great feature of the Messenger app is that it allows users to easily select and send photos that are saved to their device, which makes it easy for pictures of grandkids to get sent your way.
Group Messages
Want to keep up to date with multiple people? Maybe you’re planning a family get together, or updating the address book. Facebook Messenger makes it easy to start a group conversation, so everybody can stay current and involved. You can add as many people as you want, as long as they have Facebook, and you can even give the group a custom name and photo.
Example: “The Simmons Summer Cabin”
Video Chat
See your favorite people while you’re interacting with them! Video chat is a more personal way to talk to the people you miss the most. Think of all the possibilities of video chat: You can read books to your grandkids, see how tall they’ve gotten, and also check how many teeth they are missing. Maybe somebody close to you remodeled their home. Check it out by taking a virtual tour through Messenger video chat to see the changes. Video chat is (almost) as good as being in the same room, so be sure to take advantage of this great capability. Remember, your Internet speed and connectivity will make a big difference in the quality of these video calls.
Phone Calls
This portion of Messenger might be a tad unnecessary unless you don’t have somebody’s phone number. If you are friends with a person on Facebook, you can call them through the Messenger app provided that they are connected to the Internet. It uses free voiceover IP (VOIP) technology and will use your cellular data unless you are connected to WiFi. Video calls are probably the way to go, though!
It’s a great big world, and it has become so much easier to travel and move further away from where you grew up. The fact that this app gives you so many different options to stay connected, all through Facebook, the largest social media site ever invented, is quite remarkable and convenient. Thanks, Zuckerberg! Be sure to remember these helpful Messenger tools the next time you are missing somebody special to you.