My parents just discovered Skype. Of course, they immediately wanted to talk to me over Skype since I am essentially the only person they know who has Skype. They were very impressed and amazed by being able to video chat over the internet. This reminded me of the generational gap we talked about last class, where our generation is inured to new technology because it has been so much a part of our lives since before we can remember. My parents are in their 60s and didn’t even own color TVs when they were children, so the idea of instant face-to-face communication is very advanced for them. I just thought this was an interesting example of how old news to us can be novel to people removed from the technological era we live in.
Interesting note on your parents' discovery of Skype! In addition to highlighting a generational gap, new technologies can also mediate intergenerational relationships. My parents moved to China a few years ago, and Skype has been our primary form of communication since then.
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