Media Release:

Virtually bridging the generational gap

As you cook dinner tonight, your toddler could be singing incy wincy spider with their grandmother, even though she lives on the other side of the world. This is the phenomenon of video-chatting.

In recent years, the introduction of some amazing new communication technologies has dramatically changed the way we communicate with our loved ones. More than 10 years since the web-cam was introduced to society, video-chatting is connecting many families who are geographically separated, allowing face to face, real time interaction between babies, toddlers, teens, parents, and grandparents alike.

There is a necdotal evidence to suggest that young children are becoming increasingly involved in video-chatting with relatives, and Swinburne University of Technology researchers, Dr Jordy Kaufman and Joanne Tarasuik are investigating the psychological benefits of this phenomenon.

Combining both audio and visual mediums in real-time, video-chat even allows children who have not yet learnt to speak, to communicate with relatives they are geographically separated from. "For example, parents can sit their child on their knee whilst they chat to relatives, and the baby can wave, clap, and become familiar with them," said Kaufman. "This audio-visual combination allows for a more enhanced form of communication, compared to traditional phone calls, and consequently allows relationships to develop over a long distance, from a much younger age."

Short of physical interaction, only one's imagination limits the activities that can be undertaken during video-chat interaction. "Grandparents can read online books to their grandchildren or children can practice reading to their grandparents, families can sing songs to each other, engage in a tea party, or even practice their times-tables together."

Grandparents also feel the benefits of video-chat interaction. "Children grow up so quickly, but the virtual proximity allows them to share moments that many grandparents would otherwise miss. It may be hearing the baby's first word, or wishing them luck before their first day of school. No matter what the moments, experiencing it in real time is much better than photos or viewing a video, and is the next best thing to actually being there," said Kaufman.

Before this technology, young children and their grandparents from geographically separated families, had limited contact due to the cost and time constraints of travel. Today, family members who live interstate, overseas, or are experiencing physical or financial difficulties no longer need to miss any milestones.

While this technology is changing how people relate to one another, the phenomenon of video-chatting has not been well investigated. Swinburne researchers are looking for parents of children aged five years and under to complete a short online questionnaire about the current patterns of video-chat in families with young children. Parents with children who do not currently video-chat, are welcome to participate in the study.

For more information contact at BabyLab@swin.edu.au or on (03) 9214 8822.

The questionnaire can be found at http://opinio.online.swin.edu.au/s?s=5257

Mum Zone Release Date: 20th January 2009

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