The holidays this year will look different for most people. With the ongoing pandemic, many families and friends will be getting together virtually. Virtual communication has been vital this year, allowing people to stay connected while physical contact has been limited. Though there are numerous virtual platforms and technologies available, planning online gatherings involves making new adjustments which can be challenging to navigate. How do you have an online reunion and still make it fun and engaging for everyone? There are several tips you can practice to create a dynamic virtual experience!
- Set Expectations
To avoid confusion and scheduling conflicts, be sure to discuss and establish expectations for the gathering. This should include the time frame, number of people, type of activities, specific platform, who is hosting or facilitating etc. Setting and communicating these crucial details also allows others to know what they can expect and how they can best prepare. This can ease any anxiety or discomfort about family reunions, especially a new format.
- Organize Practice Run
Selecting the most effective virtual platform for your reunion is important! You want to make sure that everyone has it downloaded (in advance!) and understands the basics of how to operate the platform. A helpful way to do this is to launch a practice test, which many platforms allow you to do! This is especially helpful for family members who may not be as tech savvy or less familiar with virtual tools. Practicing beforehand also ensures that everyone has properly downloaded the platform and will be ready for your gathering.
- Create Agenda
Take some time beforehand to brainstorm ideas and activities for your family reunion! If you have specific family traditions, think about how you can translate them for an online format. You can ask others for suggestions and also research popular virtual games – some platforms have games too. After identifying what you will be doing, it could be useful to organize the information into an agenda with allotted time. You can then share the agenda with your family beforehand which also helps with setting expectations!
- Create Accessible Setting
It is important to think about how to make virtual settings accessible and comfortable for everyone. This is particularly helpful (and necessary) for people who have hearing loss. There are a few helpful ways you can meet communication needs more effectively:
- Use Video: this may seem obvious but it is important to remind everyone to use the video function. Especially when a person is talking, they should appear on the screen so that others can see them and better follow what they are saying. Being able to read mouth and see nonverbal cues like body language helps people follow conversations.
- Lighting: setting good lighting helps with visibility. People should be in spaces that are well lit and clear. An effective way to do this is to have lighting in front of you, rather than behind you, which allows you to be clearly visible on the screen.
- Mute Button: reducing background noise is a helpful way to help others hear better. With multiple people on the platform, you want to avoid people speaking at the same time and competing noisy backgrounds. This can be really distracting and make it more difficult to hear and follow the conversation. A good way to cut down on noise is to use the mute button when someone is not talking.
It is important to communicate these tips with others so that everyone can participate in creating a comfortable environment. You can practice these tips in a test run beforehand and/or include them on your agenda!
- Make it Festive!
Get creative so that your family reunion feels festive! You can experiment with digital backgrounds that platforms have, set a theme (ugly sweater?), and share a food menu. If there are specific foods that are part of family traditions, people can prepare these foods in advance so everyone can still enjoy it together.
Virtual family reunions can be a great way to spend quality time and connect with others. By taking some time to plan and practicing a few tips, you can create an engaging environment!
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One important part of staying connected is to ensure that you are hearing your best! If you’ve been struggling to hear, contact us today to schedule an appointment for a hearing test.