Nearly half of American grandparents live more than 200 miles from at least one of their grandchildren, according to AARP. Prof. Merril Silverstein, a sociologist at the University of Southern California, has found that about two-thirds of grandchildren see one set of grandparents only a few times a year, if that.
But many grandparents find that the Web cam eases the transition during in-person visits, when grandchildren may refuse to sit on their laps or may reject their hugs because they do not recognize them. As one Web cam evangelist wrote on her blog,www.nanascorner.com: “You’ll be able to pick up where you left off without thosewarming up to you, awkward moments.”
It got me thinking. Have any libraries set up webcam or ichat rooms for their members yet? It could be a small room with a a clever name. The idea would be to set up a computer with a webcam and ichat or skype to allow families to stay connected to each other. It could also be part of a gadget garage concept where people could "try before they buy". What a great service for grandparents, military families and anyone else separated by miles. What would be really great is if libraries networked across the world, everyone offering a webcam connection. That could become a game changer for us for sure.
Wow, now that would make for a world story!
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2 comments:
Just make sure the room is glass and easily viewed or you'll be known as the library that was letting patrons broadcast live porn. There's a marketing nightmare!
cool idea, Nancy. a good way to start people using that service would be to have some webcam training sessions for seniors. I know the grandparents in my family would need that!!
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