Staying connected with family and friends back home is a challenge for every expat. However, with growing internet penetration in the Kingdom, social networking sites, such as, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Flickr, MySpace, etc. are blurring these lines, proving to be an indispensable and cost-effective tool for expats to keep in touch with their loved ones despite the miles that separate them. “Living far away has become less difficult in this age of modern technology. I use a number of networking sites to stay in touch on a daily basis with my family back home,” said Connie Mitchell, an American professor in Riyadh. She said that because of online social networks, she doesn't even get the feel that she is “living far away from everyone”. “Staying connected was never so easy,” Mitchell remarked. Interestingly, Mark Zukerberg, chief executive officer and founder of Facebook, wrote in a Facebook blog that one of the main aims of building such a social network is to “provide an opportunity for him and the expats to stay connected with their families”. “So it is rewarding to see that as Facebook has grown, people around the world are using the service to stay connected to everyone they care about. For me personally, this has meant being able to remain close and connected to family,” he wrote. Facebook currently has 400 million active users worldwide. Fatemah Assadi , an American teacher living in the Kingdom, also uses social media to keep tabs on all her family members, who live in different parts of the world, namely, the US, Germany, France and Australia. “We never feel as though we are living apart,” she said. Dr. Azza Al-Ghamdi, a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at King Saud University in Riyadh, said social media affects expats in a positive way and it is helping expats feel “less confused, more relaxed and more productive in their life and career”. “Moreover, these networking tools help in saving money and effort that is otherwise spent on the traditional modes of communication,” added Dr. Al-Ghamdi. “It is easy for expats to ask for the views of their loved ones even on the most trivial of issues. For example, they can get help in choosing what to wear. All they have to do is upload pictures on the website of all the clothes and ask friends and family to vote for the best,” said Al-Ghamdi. Agreeing, Dr. Abdul Kareem Al-Ghamdi, Professor of Sociology at King Saud University, said that “maintaining contact through social media is easier and less expensive than booking a flight and traveling back home”. “Distance is not a factor anymore in the communication process. An expat can live in two societies, i.e. the society in which he lives in real life and the one in his home country,” said Dr. Abdul Kareem Al-Ghamdi. Anne Betz, a German expat lecturer, said she and her family exchange music, links and photos on Facebook. “A chat at least once a day is necessary to tell stories, exchange news, etc. with family and friends. The best part is that all this is instant and free,” remarked Betz. “I was able to share with my friends my childhood memories and send interesting greetings at special occasions,” said Rola Slahia, a Syrian expat housewife, adding that with the help of online social networks, she has been successful in “strengthening relations with family and friends back home”.
