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FAR AWAY, BUT STILL SO CLOSE

We increasingly hear about the downsides of the modern technologies around us. We walk the streets playing Pokémon GO, cross the street while Snapchatting, text all day long, and Facebook is opened every ten minutes, because heaven forbid we miss something. And yes, I also think we should occasionally schedule a phone-free day to reconnect with our inner self. But I also think we should look at the other side of the coin.

We forget how privileged we are nowadays with our modern technologies. Take, for example, the story of Hewam, a 16-year-old girl who fled from Eritrea. With the help of the Red Cross's contact recovery program and the Vodafone Foundation (which donated a bus full of smartphones, laptops, and SIM cards), she was able to let her parents know that she was okay.

Just quickly FaceTime my mom, because did she use baking powder or baking soda in that cake?

This is so relatable for me. I have traveled for years and was far away from my close family. But unlike Hewam, I consciously chose this.

Would I have made this choice without the modern technologies of today? No way. In fact, I could often walk into one of the immensely large supermarkets and quickly FaceTime my mom to ask if she used baking powder or baking soda in that cake. What a luxury that actually is! And even though the phone calls are often short, how nice is it to give your family a sign of life? Your loved ones that you miss and with whom you want to share so many things.

Thanks to the internet and telephony, distances have become much shorter. With Powerful Connections Vodafone shows the power of mobile technology and how it connects people. Nowadays, with a quick FaceTime moment, you can still have that cup of coffee together, see the first steps of your godchild, or ask your best friend for advice on whether or not to buy those shoes.

Let's take a moment to reflect on this, let's realize that it's all not taken for granted. I will do that this afternoon too, when I call my mom on my bike home after work.