AKRON, Ohio --Baby boomers grew up in a time of outlandish predictions. They were promised that during their lifetime that they would witness time travel, flying cars and telephones that showed who was on the other end.
The idea of time travel, albeit potentially dangerous , seemed pretty cool. It could be fun to go back and relive a first kiss or a child's birth. Certainly, flying cars would help during rush-hour traffic. But computers and phones with live images? Surely that prediction was nothing more than bunk. Who would want a caller to catch her with disheveled hair and torn jammies?
Fast-forward a few decades.
Kent, Ohio's Barb and Bruce Vasbinder say their relationship with their grandchildren, who live on the West Coast, just wouldn't be the same if it weren't for Skype. With the free software application, a webcam and a high-speed Internet connection, users can talk to and see each other live via the Internet.
"It allows us to be a part of their lives and share special moments with them even though many miles separate us," said Barb, 60.
The Nielsen Wire, the website for the measurement and information company Nielsen, reports : "Conventional wisdom that boomers spend little, resist technology and are slow to adopt new products needs to be reassessed. Boomers are an affluent group who adopt technology with enthusiasm."
The Vasbinders' son, Aaron, his wife, Meghan Burke Vasbinder, and their children, Caitlin, 4, and Lindsay, almost 2, Skype at least once every couple of weeks from Tracy, Calif. And they get far more out of it than they would a simple telephone call.
On one recent call, the couple gleefully watched as Caitlin showed them how she stretches before soccer games, and celebrated when seeing Lindsay learning to walk. They also play games with the kids.
"Caitlin will draw the cards, or roll the dice and move my player around the board," Barb said.
The couple showed the girls what the first snowfall of the season looked like in Ohio. Her son has given them tours of his house.
"Recently, Caitlin showed us her newly painted bedroom," Barb said. "And one night, as we were ready to sign off Skype, Lindsay blew us a kiss."
Grandpa, 61, who works for Larry Kannal State Farm, and Grammie, who is a physical education teacher for Kent schools, even help baby-sit , Barb said. "Sometimes we read a few books so Meghan and Aaron can clean up in the kitchen and talk without interruption."
Using creative ways to keep relationships intact, like Skype or the iPhone's FaceTime feature , is something boomers in job-strapped places like Northeast Ohio may be experimenting with more as their kids and grandchildren are forced to leave the area to find employment.
"Aaron had a number of job offers before graduation from Virginia Tech in mining engineering , but none in Ohio," Barb said. "So following graduation, he felt the California offer was his best opportunity.
"The time difference is an issue, but we make it work, even if it is a quick story before we go to bed."
FACEBOOK PROS
AND CONS
In 1977, the late Ken Olson, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., manufacturer of big business mainframe computers, argued against the personal computer, saying, "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
Now it's hard to find a home without one. And even many anti-technology boomers are making their way to social networks like Facebook to stay connected and be hip.
"The baby-boomer generation is one of the fastest growing users of social media," said Erin E. Hollenbaugh, assistant professor of communication studies at Kent State University's Stark Campus.
But beware of limiting yourself to written messages , such as Facebook messages or emails, as the only way to communicate.
"One nice thing about the Internet is that we sometimes feel more confident when talking with others online. The fact that you don't have to see the other person's reactions when you tell them something makes it easier to share things that may upset them. On the other hand, that same quality can backfire on us," Hollenbaugh said.
"For example, plenty of people post nasty things on another person's Facebook profile. This is likely because they didn't consider how it might hurt the other person or how that person's reaction would cause them to feel. Similarly, sometimes people share secrets online or are overly disclosive, and that can lead to problems with friends, teachers or employers."
Social media, especially Facebook, are used to maintain or rekindle connections with "friends" --current and former.
"While it's great to increase your social network , researchers have found that the vast majority of these relationships tend to be weak-tie relationships ," Hollenbaugh said. "In other words, they are fairly superficial , distant friendships.
"As I look at my friend list on Facebook, I know that's the case because most of the people I'm friends with online I would not call on the phone and chat, nor do I even have their phone number. So while quantity is increased, quality may be decreased."
Sometimes written messages are perceived differently from what was intended. Perhaps that is why people invented emoticons --the faces made with symbols like :).
Emoticons give us a chance to replicate what we do face-to-face , Hollenbaugh said. But a textonly email is less rich than a Skype call, which includes nonverbal and verbal cues.
The Vasbinders believe that without Skype, their grandchildren may not be as comfortable around them when they get the chance to visit in person.
"They run to us in an airport without hesitation. They know us, not just pictures of us," Barb Vasbinder said. "We have all this technology at our fingertips to improve the way we can communicate. Why not use it?"
PHIL MASTURZO/MCT
Barb and Bruce Vasbinder visit with their granddaughter, Caitlin, 4, through Skype from their home in Kent, Ohio, on Saturday, May 28, 2011.
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