Staying Connected with Friends & Family Online

While we’re all focused on staying at home and social distancing, it’s still possible to connect with friends and family through the help of some easy-to-use online services. Learning new programs like Facebook and Zoom might seem daunting, so we’ve put together this handy guide to get you started.

ZOOM

Zoom is an online video conferencing program that allows you to connect with up to 500 people at a time! You can use it for video calls and meetings on your computer, tablet or smartphone. Imagine joining your friends for a virtual happy hour. Or how about a mini family reunion so you can see loved ones near and far. Follow these easy steps to get connected on Zoom in no time.

  • If you get invited to a Zoom meeting, click the link that came with the meeting invitation. Here’s how that link might look in an email.
  • After clicking the link, a new window will appear saying that ZOOM is launching your meeting. You can “download & run Zoom,” but we suggest simply clicking “join from your browser” to make this process simpler.
  • When prompted, type in your name and hit enter. Then, your meeting should begin to load.
  • In the meeting, there are a few important buttons to be aware of. Note the microphone and video buttons in the bottom left corner. When they have a red slash, that means that they are turned off. Click once to turn them on or off again. On the top right, the gallery view button will show videos of everyone who is in the meeting.
  • This detailed guide gives more information and tips for joining a Zoom meeting.

Want to schedule your own meeting? In the spirit of keeping us all connected, Zoom is allowing new users to sign up for free. Get started at Zoom.us.

FACEBOOK

According to a study published by Pew Research, nearly half of all adults over 65 who use the internet are using social networking sites such as Facebook. Not only is it a great way to stay in touch with friends and family, Facebook is also an exciting place to learn new things and connect with likeminded people. If you haven’t created an account yet, here’s how to get started.

  • First, you’ll need an email address. If you don’t have one, you can create one for free with providers such as Gmail and Yahoo.
  • Go to facebook.com. On the home page, you should see this form, which you’ll need to fill out to create your new account.
  • Once you click “Sign Up,” Facebook will send you an email to verify your account. Go to your email’s inbox and open the “Welcome to Facebook” email.
  • In the email, click the “Get Started” button, which will verify your email address and open a new tab for Facebook. Your new Facebook account is now live!
  • Next, you’ll be prompted to start adding friends and filling out your profile. For more information about how to add a profile picture, make your first post and connect with others, check out this tutorial.

At Revel communities, we are using Facebook and Zoom to keep our residents connected and engaged. Do you want to join in on the fun? Follow us on Facebook and stay up to date on upcoming events and more.