1. Video Chat
No matter what electronic devices you use on a regular basis, there’s a pretty good chance that one of them -- if not all of them -- have some type of video chat feature or program.
Zoom, Skype, Slack, Instagram, Google Hangouts, Facetime, SnapChat -- the list goes on and on. And these apps aren’t only for staying in touch with work colleagues or people you are collaborating with on projects, either -- they work just as good for keeping in touch with your family and friends, as well.
Of course, video chat is an internet bandwidth hog, and for families, it can quickly start to cause internet issues. If you want a better -- and stronger -- network, give us a call! We’d be glad to help you get set up with a more reliable home network solution.
2. Digital Board Games
Don’t get bored, get board … games! OK, sorry, we couldn’t resist that one.
What did people used to do before computers and cell phones and the internet when they were looking for entertainment? Classic board games.
And while you can’t gather people around a table at the moment, that doesn’t mean that you can’t get together online for some digital board games. If you are really feeling adventurous, you could always start up a digital “Dungeons & Dragons” campaign, too!
3. Party Apps
Bored and can’t come up with anything to do? Don’t worry -- there’s an app for that.
Apps like Houseparty let groups of people join in via their phone (or even computer) and play games together. It’s just like having an actual party … except you don’t need to leave the house and don’t really need to get dressed either. So, in some ways, it may be BETTER than an actual party!
4. Video Games
Maybe board games and party apps aren’t exactly your idea of a good-yet-quarantined time. Maybe you want something digital. Maybe with a controller or two involved.
If you want to escape the realities of modern day and hang out with cute animals, “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” just came out. If violence is more your thing, there’s always “Doom Eternal.” Or, we suspect there’s probably more than a few of you excited about the “Final Fantasy VII Remake.”
5. Pen Pals
OK, so this one isn’t a digital solution per say, but you could save your handwriting skills for another day and type out letters and then snail mail them, so we are going to count it.
Call us old fashioned, call us traditionalists, but in times like these, even old-school approaches have some merit. Try writing some letters and sending them out to good friends. Maybe you can make a mini quarantine photo shoot with the family and mail out the pictures like a holiday card. Whatever you do, it’s another way to keep connected and stay sheltered during this storm.
It’s important to stay in contact, these days more so than ever. We hope these ideas help you stay in touch with friends and family -- and make sure to stay safe and stay home!! We can’t wait for things to be back to normal, either!