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Can Social Media Improve Communication With Your Children Post Divorce? |
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One of my favourite quotes about communication is by George Bernard Shaw. “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.
”So how can we not only communicate with our children when at times it seems we talk different languages but also know we’ve hit the mark & really connected.
Cindy Rose, consumer director of Vodafone UK, conducted a study highlighting that half of teenagers are more confident expressing themselves over text or social media than a traditional face to face conversation. She claimed mobile media is "strengthening family bonds" even though young people could be losing the art of conversation, as they prefer to talk to each other virtually. Of the under 18s surveyed, 75 per cent said their relationship with their families is closer because of their phones, while 69 per cent said the first they do in the morning and the last thing they do at night, is check their phone.
We may all be familiar with Facebook, Twitter & have been reprimanded by our children not to comment or embarrass them on their social media platform, so as parents how can we use this foreign concept of social media as an invaluable tool to build relationships with our children after divorce.
Many teenagers use Snapchat as a proxy for texting, it takes back-and-forth messaging to a new level but can be more engaging & fun. Communication doesn’t always have to be serious, it’s about making & maintaining a connection. Snapchat “streaks” keeps track of how many consecutive days two people have been snapchatting, displaying the number of days on the right side of the friend's name. Whilst many of us might not care about our streaks, it can be a visible reminder for our children we are still involved in their daily lives. “The option of creating an emotion within the photo is like combining “facetime & a selfie with words. This makes conversations more connected, even more emotional,” as one teenager told me.
So why not embrace this new technology whether that’s Video calls, Whatsapp, Facebook, Facetime Twitter or Instragram, we may not understand this new way of communication but for the younger generation it’s a very serious business & a key part of their lives.
Written by Jo Rayner (Life Coach UK) If you have any questions on how coaching can help you achieve your goals and aspirations please email, call or visit my website www.joraynercoaching.co.uk
PHOTO CREDIT: BLOGTREPENEUR |
