Many people are finding themselves scrambling to figure out how best to communicate with each other, for both personal and business reasons. Loved ones who have not felt the need to connect via video are suddenly feeling very disconnected. The quality of interactions is often reliant on, and only as good as, the technology skills and equipment of the least technological of the group. Instead of the woulda, coulda, shoulda nonsensical arguing that some families are prone to, let's be productive instead:
THE RIGHT STUFF:
If your loved one has a
smartphone and wifi,
or a computer with hard line connection only, you are good to go. Most smartphones have video calling built right in. Just click a contact and then the little video camera icon (icon means little picture). If video calling is not turned on, you will find that option in your phone's settings. If your loved one is using a computer and has difficulty hearing, it might be beneficial to send them a
great headset that will plug right in and be ready to use. There is a mute feature built into the cord.
Give an
older smartphone phone of yours to your loved one with
Skype installed, or whatever app you prefer - make them a private account ahead of time and have in login automatically as soon as they hit the icon on the unlocked screen. The
Zoom app is great as you can do video call meetings with multiple people all at once - each participate seeing everyone else's video and audio on phones and/or computer screens - as close to being in a room together as some people can be right now. You can record the meeting, too, for people who could not join you.
Can't afford smartphones for all? Walkie talkies are still awesome, people. The link takes you to a very inexpensive, but durable set of FOUR that run on batteries, so no charging base required. If your kids have friends close by, within range, or family within range and one of the parties does not have a smartphone, walkie talkies are better than phones because they are inexpensive and FUN. Who doesn't like CHHH! at the end of everything you say? If the walkie talkie doesn't make that sound, do it anyway! Have a loved one in a nursing home? Ask if you can get a walkie talkie to them, set to the correct channel (write it on masking tape stuck to the device, too), and include a charging base. Then they have something very light weight and easy to operate, and you can talk through the closed window to each other. Phones can be tough for someone to hold if they are weak or if an aide is not available to help them with the call.
Amazon has a whole range of products to make video calls with and
tomsguide.com has easy to read tutorials for a few!
HOLD EVERYTHING:
It is really difficult to talk to anyone for a longer period of time when they are bouncing all over the place, trying to hold a phone two feet from their face. It is actually hard to do as your body is not a fan of holding a pose very long. Work call? That would be a zero on the professionalism scale. Enter this little beauty:
The UBeesize 8" Selfie Ring Light with Tripod Stand & Cell Phone Holder for Live Stream (image by manufacturer)
The photo is a bit misleading as there is only ONE light ring, not three or four. The other rings are there to show you that it produces white light, cool light, and warm light, all controlled with with that nifty little switch you see built into the cord at the bottom of the image.
The light plugs right into your laptop, computer or wall via USB. It is really awesome and I love it. There is VERY LITTLE assembly required and the tripod itself can sit on a table and desk, sure, but it also expands to 51", then the light ring screws in on top, so you can use this stand for full length demos, record yourself and your projected presentation at the same time! Fits any smartphone.
NO SUBSTITUTE FOR YOUR VOICE:
Texting doesn't cut it, people. Your loved ones NEED to
at least HEAR you, if they cannot see you. MAKE TIME to
talk to people that love you. If you have an elderly relative, please do not think it is ok for just one of you to talk to him or her. They want to feel loved by everyone - don't rob them by calling while the baby is sleeping - they want to see the baby, hear the baby, experience as much as they can.
GETTING TO WORK:
If you are one of millions working from home,
Wirecutter has a quick-read article and diagram of a setup for doing videoconferencing at home, but if you'd rather just stay right here (thanks!), the big points are:
Check your settings, making sure you have maximum bandwidth - make sure NO ONE in your home is streaming while you are on a call! And for goodness sake, enable mirror effect so any text showing is going in the right direction! This will be in your display/photo/video settings. Androids generally have this as default, but for some reason, many iPhone users have Instagram feeds full of backward text - on their clothing, hats, signage, everything! Ugh. Fix it.
Minimize disruptions by
setting up an area
in a room with a door that locks. Put a sign on the outside of the door that clearly states something like: "Videocall in progress. Do not interrupt!" If you have not yet seen this video of children interrupting a call, watch it now - believe me, not everyone would be as forgiving or think it cute:
Children Interrupt BBC News Interview.
Use a good camera and the right lighting: Again, I highly recommend the setup that I recommended above:
The UBeesize 8" Selfie Ring Light with Tripod Stand & Cell Phone Holder for Live Stream
Get good sound by using a
headset with a great mic (mute button included), or invest in an
external mic (mute button right on top).
Keep in professional from the background to your apparel. Do NOT make the mistake of dressing from the waist up and sweats below - if you need to dash for something you need, you might forget to turn off your video before you pop up. Just get dressed! No loud jewelry (your seventeen alex and ani bracelets need to wait this one out on your dresser), no inappropriate clothing. Avoid wheeled chairs as they make more noise than you think during a call. A bookshelf and plants work nicely as a backdrop, but no blinds or thin curtains that can back light you and make you a silhouette!
WE CAN DO THIS, PEOPLE! Stay safe, stay integral, stay HOME.
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. The prices are no higher for you, and, if you buy from one of these links, I get meager penance, so please - help a girl out who is trying to help YOU! Thanks!
