Back To School
College Correspondence: Keeping up with the Jones' Children
By
Aug 20, 2005, 15:09

(ARA) - This fall, millions of parents will bid good-bye to their sons and daughters, sending them out of the nest and into the brave new world of college. It is a time of joy, of course, but also concern. Parents worry that they will have a hard time keeping tabs on their children's college lives or will miss out on their daily endeavors and exciting new adventures.
But here's some good news for those parents sending their kids off to school. Gone are the days of watching the mailbox in hopes of a letter home or waiting by the phone for a weekly call. Thanks to the Internet -- and the many communication tools now available online -- staying in touch with your college kids has never been easier or more instantaneous.

Even if you haven't read a blog, or created one yourself, you have probably heard of them in recent months. They are the cyber equivalent of journals where online authors share their news, thoughts and interests, and they are the perfect tool for kids to keep in touch with friends and, of course, parents. According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, more than 32 million Americans have read blogs, and of those who blog, 48 percent are under age 30. And with the widespread availability of blogging tools, particularly the introduction of free services like AIM Journals, it's easier than ever for students to create their own blogs and chronicle their college adventures. Thanks to privacy controls, they can even create a roster of their family and friends, thus controlling who is able to read the blog and who can post messages or comments.

"Blogs provide the ideal vehicle for today's on-the-go college students to stay in touch with their parents back home or friends at other schools," says Bill Schreiner, vice president of community and AIM Programming for America Online. "Using computers, cell phones and mobile devices, they can post updates from anywhere, be it their dorm rooms, parties or even the library, where parents hope they're spending quality studying time! This real-time blogging means kids can quickly share their latest news with both family and friends all at once."

Want to see your kids and their new friends in action? The explosive growth of digital cameras -- with sales expected to exceed 30 million this year, according to IDC -- has made it easier than ever for shutterbugs to take pictures, organize them, and most importantly, share them. Students can even compile online photo albums chronicling their college happenings and can add labels so parents can match those new names to smiling faces. Or if they have created an aforementioned blog, they can even post their photos there for illustration and further sharing.

Instant Messaging is another hugely popular communication tool with kids. In fact, according to Pew, 59 percent of youths already use Instant Messaging services. While it may not manage to lower their cell phone bills, new features built into popular IM programs now allow IMers to plug in a microphone and literally talk to their IM buddies online, watch live videos of each other using Web cams, share pictures and files and much more. So put your kids on your Buddy List, and make sure you are on theirs, so you can catch them for a quick computer conversation before they run out the door to class.

Your children may be living far from home, but by harnessing the cool tools available online, they are really just a mouse click away. For more information about blogging and Instant Messaging services, log on to peopleconnection.aol.com Courtesy of ARA Content

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