5 Ways Tech Can Foster Closer Family Relations

Despite tech’s bad rep for creating a more isolated society, itcan be the perfect tool for families to create bonding opportunities and making memories. Plus, parents of millennials,raised in the Internet generation are in the perfect position to harness the perks of technology’s. Here are 5 ways tech can foster closer family relations.

# Family Whatsapp Chat Group

Among friend and families, Whatsapp and other similar instant messaging apps have become a popular way for groups of people to keep in touch. The immediacy and accessibility makes it easy to do a shout out, to share the latest meme, or pass a message. It helps that chat groups are incredibly popular, so it’s nothing out of the ordinary to add a relative to the group. The platform also lends itself to more casual, jolly, informal conversing.

# Family Facebook Group

While a Facebook group is pretty much similar to setting up a blog for the family, access can be limited to members only. The group can be the designated ‘family channel’ where everyone can share pictures of family gatherings, trade recipes, tips, hacks, discounts and the like. It’s also, if you think about it, a fuss-free ‘memory portal’ for the family.

# Family Entertainment

In the age of multiple-gadget ownership, apps, streaming movies and music means the whole family can have entertainment at their fingertips. The interaction may not be as visible as hanging out physically, but it’s interaction nonetheless. There is an indirect interaction that exists even when two people are physically apart while playing the same game.

Another form of ‘separate togetherness’ that’s prevalent among millennial families, is watching different contents in the same room. It shouldn’t be discounted as ‘inferior’ interaction—the bonding can well take place later—especially if there are two or more family members following the same drama series.

# Fitness Tracking Apps

There’s nothing like a little competition to motivate the whole family to get healthy together. The premise is simple. Fitness tracking apps such as Fitocracy, Teemo, Fit Friendzy, Healthy 365, and EveryMove allow individuals to set fitness challenges and compete against each other. This adds fun to fitness and allows families to bond the healthy way.

# Games for Family Nights

Two games that are sure hits at family gatherings, are Charades and Heads Up. The classic parlour guessing game is available as an app for iOS and Android devices. No need for scraps of paper. Heads Up is a similar game app created by show host Ellen Degeneres, which requires players to guess words flashed on the screen.