Guest Post
How did our parents raise their families without the luxuries of modern technology? From “old” technology like cell phones to booming new tech industries like eGifting, the experience of being a parent today is so much more convenient than the days of our childhood. It may have been a simpler time back then, but it sure is easier now thanks to the multiple tech options available for families. Here are my modern must-haves:
Digital Cameras
Long gone are the days of the stressful family photo session when the number of chances for a decent shot were limited. More often than not, the same image is now photographed dozens of times and weeded out later for the perfect shot. What’s more, most of us don’t even carry an actual camera around. More photos are taken every day with a smart phone than with an actual camera. No more expensive film development, the elimination of an actual camera (who needs more stuff to carry around?), and heaven forbid—no more waiting 60 seconds for the Polaroid to develop. While smart phone cameras are improving rapidly, I still like to use my digital camera for special events to ensure action shots or long video footage is taken at its very best.
Video Chat
Whether it’s a school performance or a lost tooth, relatives who live across the country can now be a part of our kids’ daily lives thanks to video chat options like Facetime or Skype. Your child calling grandma to tell her some big news is nothing compared to seeing her face- and letting her see her grandkids! Just a few seconds to connect, and grandma can see the missing tooth or watch a school performance from the audience.
Smart Phones
I was watching the film Kramer vs. Kramer recently and noticed the many commonalities that parents in 1979 and parents in 2013 experience alike- themes of heartbreak, joy, guilt, compassion, and utter parental confusion. One scene stuck with me in terms of how life is vastly different for us… Dustin Hoffman’s character was at the park with his young son when the boy fell and hurt his head. The dad immediately picked him up and started running down the street, panicked for his boy’s life, emotional music building throughout the long scene until they finally reached the hospital. For a quick second, I found myself silently asking this fictitious father why he wasn’t calling 911 on his cell phone. Our cell phones are taken for granted on a daily basis- especially if you’re fortunate to own a smart phone. More than a tool for emergencies like calling 911 from a park, it’s is a fast form of communication via text, games and apps for entertainment and information, a camera so you don’t miss a moment, a map so you don’t get lost, and so much more.
Digital Video Recorders (DVR)
In the attempt to limit our kids’ screen time, we realize the minutes they spend watching television are valuable. But who’s to say if they’re favorite show will be on at the moment you need it to be? DVR has allowed parents to not only monitor what our kids are watching, but when they are watching it and the best part of all… fast forward the commercials (because, seriously, how many times can a kid say, “I want that!” within a 30 minute cartoon?). Not to mention its benefits for us! Very few of us would be able to watch our favorite shows if we didn’t have them waiting for us to press play at our convenience.
eGifting
Sometimes referred to as social gifting, it’s the new way to acknowledge life’s special moments- in two minutes or less! Moms are a thoughtful bunch, but we’re busy! We want to let our friends and family know we’re thinking of them, but too often the thought just passes due to lack of time.
The go-to solution for moms in the know is Yiftee. A Yiftee (www.yiftee.com) is a real gift, often $20 or less, sent by smart phone or the web to say Thank You, Happy Birthday, or Just Because. This gifting service is particularly unique in this industry since it’s not only convenient for busy moms, it also helps support local businesses. We created Yiftee because we love our local merchants and appreciate the key role they play in our community, so we wanted to bring profitable business to to help them thrive in an increasingly mobile and online shopping world. And we wanted to offer consumers, our friends and others like us, a way to “buy local” quickly and simply from their mobile phones. Frequently you want to do something a little nicer than a Facebook wall post or an email, and Yiftee is perfect for that! It’s the perfect way to celebrate a new mom, a sister’s promotion, a friend hitting her fitness goal—you name it!
Regardless of what inventions help your days run smoother, we can all agree that life as a mom is good. Modern technology just makes it a whole lot better.
Donna Novitsky is the CEO of Yiftee, the exciting new mobile app and Internet service that lets consumers send thoughtful, unexpected gifts (most under $20) among friends, family and colleagues quickly and easily via email, mobile and social media.
It is so true that these days technology make things like talking to grandma across country and being able to actually see their reactions is much better than just hearing them.