How Skype Changed My Life
11/05/2010 in Play Blog by arianna.radji
As we mentioned in a previous blog, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT recently launched a short film competition called ‘Digital Revolutions’. Entrants submitted films about how they see the world and the ways in which information technology impacts it. One of the shortlisted films from the amatuer category, made by Christine Conder, features Skype and showed how Skype has impacted her life. We think it’s a wonderful story that we wanted to share with you all. Below is Christine’s film and blog post about it’s meaning. Enjoy!
The competition task was to make a film about the benefits digital technology had brought into my life. I decided to feature Skype in the film because it has made a tremendous difference to mine.
When I first started using a computer it was on dial up, and Skype chat was about all I could manage. Then we got broadband connection through the local community Wi-Fi network. My life changed.
My uncle bought my aunty a computer and camera which enabled us to keep in touch all through her chemotherapy because she lives a long way away from me, and Skype chat and video helped to keep her cheerful. My brother and sister live in the USA, and at Christmas we fire up Skype and the whole family come together. The time differences mean that the Skype is on nearly all day.
When my mum died we found Skype invaluable, because the phone line had to be free waiting for calls from undertakers and other funeral arrangers, but we had flights and accommodation to book for lots of people, so Skype took over. It gave us instant access to all the family and a virtual phone line with SkypeOut to ring hotels if they weren’t online.
Since my grandchildren have been born they have been raised seeing me and talking to me on Skype. I am as much a part of their lives as if they all lived next door. When they get to the ages of 3 and 4, my grandchildren Skype me themselves to tell me all their news.
Nowadays people move all over the world with their careers, and Skype helps bridge the distance and make the world a smaller place. The old gossips over the garden wall now take place over the internet, and the world is better for it. Skype helps make the world go round, and it has been one of the best things in my life.
Thank you for posting this, I think it is great to have been given the chance to promote the benefits of having an internet connection in a rural area, and the digitalrevolutions docfest in Sheffield gave me the opportunity to push the message out to a wider audience. Now you have picked it up the message will go even wider. It is vital that everyone has access to the internet. Skype shrinks the world and brings your work or family to your door.
chris