May 27, 2020
The world looks a little different right now, but SplitMango is still here!
We understand the importance of flattening the curve, so for the past few months we moved the Mango to our homes to help stop the spread. Now, we’re back in the office taking precautions set out by the Provincial Health Officer.
If you’re anything like us though, quarantine is driving you a little bit crazy. Staying at home as much as possible is important, but can leave you feeling trapped. We have spent the last few weeks figuring out ways to use technology to keep connected, active, and engaged.
We thought we would share how we’re using the web to keep in touch – and keep sane – during the pandemic.
Duy:
I’ve been using Facetime and Skype to talk with my parents since living away, but probably more often since the pandemic; because I want to keep them in high spirits and show that I care about them during these hard times.
I also just installed Zoom to do group chat with my friends residing around the world. Zoom is great because of high quality video call and low band-width, in comparison to Facebook messenger for example.
I’m also thankful that we are quarantined during this time. We have high speed Internet, smartphones to keep us in touch with our family and friends, Netflix and video games. Imagine having to use a flip phone and dial-up Internet during quarantine!
David:
I am using Slack to keep in touch with work friends, Facetime for family overseas, and Facebook for cycling buddies.
William:
I use WeChat for staying connected with friends and family; it has feeds similar to the Facebook wall so I’m always updated with the latest from them. At work, we don’t miss a beat collaborating and having some giphy fun on Slack – it even works as game chat for our Friday game sessions. Conference calls with clients on Google Meet feels more productive with screen share and video chat.
Jenna:
My sister and her partner live in Edmonton, and this is the longest we’ve gone without seeing each other in person since we lived in separate cities. We had to cancel our family vacation due to the pandemic, so technology has really helped us feel connected!
We all love board games, so we’ve been using a combination of Google Hangouts and JackBox TV, which has a bunch of different online board games where you use your phone as the controller.
Kade:
I use WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger to stay in touch with family and friends. Zoom for big group hangouts, sometimes playing Catan Universe with friends while on a zoom meeting too.
I’ve been working remotely for almost two years and I’m used to time zone differences, as many of my family and friends are in different ones. It’s been nice to stay in contact because everyone around the world is at home right now. Live streamed concerts and music in general has been great, Instagram Live, YouTube Live and Twitch streams with some artists streaming their creative process. Celebrities reading books on YouTube has also been a good pastime.
Domenik:
On the family side, we have been using traditional technology such as phone calls and possibly texts to keep in contact through mediums that are comfortable for all users. With my friends, we have been using a variety of video chat services such as FaceTime and Zoom. While these aren’t nearly as good as spending time in person, it keeps morale high and provides a much needed break. I will note Zoom scores some extra points by having the green screen function, which provides endless entertainment!