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| Source: Yum Kippur War Thread |
As transportation advanced and mail became more logistical, the rate at which the respective significant other would receive the latest affectionate letter increased greatly, and then with the invention of the telephone - communication in real-time became possible for these geographically-separated couples.
With internet came e-mail, and while that has also drastically changed communication between our two lovers, the greatest tool at their disposal is now the videoconference. The hero and heroine of this narrative can now Skype.
Skype, having 663 million users globally in 2011, is the most widely recognized videoconference brand. With Skype one can videoconference for free from one country to another, with just a computer, webcam, and high-speed internet access.
The ability for the average person to hear, speak to, and see another person that is miles away from them is a truly incredible feat - a phenomenon that has never been possible for the entirety of history and all previous societies and people.
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| Photo taken by the U.S. Army |
Imagine how powerful that is to a military family, with a mom or dad overseas. Indeed, Skype is bringing these families closer, and allowing soldiers to participate in events back home from the other side of the world.
There is some concern, mostly pertaining to whether such direct family contact can be distracting to a soldier that needs to stay focused, but you cannot help but feel good inside when a soldier gets to see his son's birth (and talk his wife through her contractions) in Iowa from the Middle East, real-time.
Now, I do not entirely know how I feel about the Skype weddings - they are certainly unique - but do point out the scope of this young communication form.
Computers everywhere are using Skype to bring the son to his father, the wife to her husband; allowing military families to be closer than ever.
Computers - 1. Evil - 0.
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