Texting is an essential form of communication these days. Type some words and the person can look at it whenever they have time. Communication met with convenience, especially since you can text in a room without others knowing what you’re saying. It can be a lifeline for a dangerous situation or a bad date. There is certainly a lot of good about texting, but it isn’t without its faults.
When reading a text from someone, there are assumptions as to the tone and true meaning meant by the person. Sure, emoticons and emojis can help to illustrate if something is teasing, a joke or not serious, but there is still wiggle room for error. Not to mention, “I’m fine”, “just do whatever you want” and “I’m good” are all phrases we’ve heard and have known there were other meanings. This lack of communication can make us feel bad or sad as we aren’t effectively communicating with others.
While traveling, I had some friends tell me about the Marco Polo app. Here is the Marco Polo website for those looking to download it. Marco Polo blends the concepts of Skype (video chatting) with texting. You can record a video message and send it to a friend. They can then look at it whenever it is convenient for them. This is indeed like sending a video Snap, but the difference is the length of the video. (I suppose I could’ve used that as my initial analogy, but hopefully, through both, it gives a good mental idea of the app) Marco Polo can record much longer videos without the interruptions from different Snaps. This added length enables the messages to more encompassing of how a day went, or to hear full stories with all the details.
The beautiful part of the video message is being able to hear the tone and see the person’s expressions as they speak. This feels much more natural and reduces the chance of error regarding the person’s message. Not to mention, seeing a family member or friend, especially when they are across the country, gives a sense of warmth, familiarity, and love.
Marco Polo has enabled me to maintain and strengthen existing friendships, but also to help some bloom into stronger friendships. It is great to connect with anyone, regardless of their location, and without the worries of setting up a time to talk and coordinate time zones.
An added benefit Sean (the Co-founder of RAWR) and I have implemented is including something we’re grateful for in our messages. This helps us to reflect on the good things occurring in our lives. Doing this over time can help to shift to a more optimistic way of thinking, which in turn can have added benefits regarding performance, self-satisfaction, and relationships.
In sum, my less than official stance is that Marco Polo is a neat app worth checking out. Some people have some hesitation with a video I’ve noticed. For those out there, just focus on the value of connection, and a purer connection making it even better. Plus, there are filters and such for those needing them or just want a little change of pace.
-Jeremy
rawrlearning.com 