Monday, July 4, 2016

FS Blog on Social Media and Family History

More and more people are doing their family history without even realizing it.

If you do not enjoy writing perhaps one of the social media options would be great for you. This blog post was put on FS this week and I think it is something to ponder.

Every time I think I don't have time to do my personal history or that of my family's I think about how much more time I'd have is our deceased family members have left a little bit more to work with.

I enjoy switching to Family History in Real time when I get frustrated with researching. It is refreshing to sit down and tell my story because I know it.

Switching things up between a lot of these media options really adds interest and variety to this lifelong pursuit. It fun, easy to learn and just about anything can be made into a book these days. Social media can be used for something so much more important like communication with living relatives, finding ancestors and relatives, special groups, etc. And the options are seemingly endless for photo storage and sharing.

In the article below by Steve and Jill Decker pay particular attention to the blue links at the bottom. Social media program are simple to learn and have a very minimal learning curve.

Social Media: Real-time Family History in the First Person

June 30, 2016 By Steven Decker

By Steven and Jill Decker

Never has so much first-person family history been contributed by so many – and most do not even realize they are doing it. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media outlets are forces that can be utilized to document and share a family’s history in the here and now. They are modern methods to journal our activities and, unlike handwritten diaries and journals, they are accessible to multiple “friends” or “followers” at the same time. Often the history is accompanied by photographs.

Here are some recent social media subjects for our family:

A trip to Bryce Canyon National Park and other vacations.
A family member and coach commented about his association with student-athletes and about his association with the Tour of Utah.
The preparation for our niece’s wedding.
Thankfulness that a recent cranial surgery on an infant went well.
Political views.
Religious views.
Bucket lists.
Birthday wishes.
Insights to senses of humor.

You can see the rich and varied story that is told through these simple, one-off posts.

Of course, social media is not without its issues when it comes to sharing family history. Not every social media claim is accurate: users may use profile pictures of heroes or loved ones rather than themselves or, for whatever reason, may say they are from a place to which they have never been. That said, imagine how many events and special occasions would pass unnoticed by large numbers of family and friends without social posts. Social media can be a great way to share family memories and instill a real sense of belonging among today’s spread-out families.

Here are some ideas and resources that can help you create your own social media strategy for family history: