Spectacular opening of the 2024 Thailand International Mega Fair in Riyadh    Saudi-French Ministerial Committee holds second meeting to advance AlUla development    Abo Noghta Castles in Tabab joins UNESCO's Best Tourism Villages list    RSAF and Saudi Falcons captivate audiences at Bahrain airshow    Saudi ministers meet UK's defense secretary to strengthen bilateral ties    Mike Tyson slaps Jake Paul during final face-off    South Africa's Mia le Roux pulls out of Miss Universe pageant    US hacker sentenced over Bitcoin heist worth billions    Ten dead in fire at Spanish retirement home    UN climate talks 'no longer fit for purpose' say key experts    Questions raised over Portugal's capacity to host Europe's largest annual tech event    Delhi shuts all primary schools as hazardous smog worsens    Riyadh lights up as Celine Dion and Jennifer Lopez dazzle at Elie Saab's 45th-anniversary celebration    Australia and Saudi Arabia settle for goalless draw in AFC Asian Qualifiers    Mohammed Al-Habib Real Estate Co. sets Guinness World Record with largest continuous concrete pour    Saudi Arabia's inflation rate hits 1.9% in October, the highest in 14 months    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    South Korean actor Song Jae Lim found dead at 39    Don't sit on the toilet for more than 10 minutes, doctors warn    Saudi Champion Saeed Al-Mouri scores notable feat in Radical World Championship in Abu Dhabi with support from Bin-Shihon Group    France to deploy 4,000 police officers for UEFA Nations League match against Israel    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Staying connected
By Samira Al-Mutairi
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 04 - 04 - 2010

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”.


Clic here to read the story from its source.