Time to read: 3 minutes
Many of us have been using video calls more frequently over the past twelve months, some perhaps using the technology for the very first time.
Now that the novelty has worn off, it is time to acknowledge that while the tech is great, it is no substitute for face-to-face conversations. We love to see and hug our loved ones and enjoy the spontaneous conversations that only happen when we’re in the same room together.
Moreover, if you also have hearing loss, video calls can also be trying. Following a conversation amid a noisy family gathering is difficult at the best of times, but when all that sound is being forced through tiny computer speakers, it makes a hard listening experience even worse.
But until we can travel freely once more, we will continue to rely on video calls to stay in touch with family and friends who are far away.
The good news is that there are things we can do to help improve our video call experience.
Here are some helpful tips for hearing aid wearers.
- Use the Bluetooth connection in your hearing aids to stream the conversation directly into your ears. This will provide better quality sound rather than relying on the often tinny sound computer or Smartphone speakers
- If your hearing aid does not support Bluetooth, ask your clinician for recommendations for over the ear headphones to better direct the sound to your ears
- Ask that only one person speak at a time, or to announce themselves before speaking to help you track who is talking
- Ask the person speaking to keep their face in front of the camera so you can read their lips
- Consider adding live closed captions to your calls. Some video conferencing systems have the ability to turn speech to text on the fly. This is typically a paid feature but might be particularly helpful if following conversations are especially difficult.
- For additional clarification, use the built-in chat feature to write down anything that is hard to understand
- Ensure that all participants are not using other internet devices during your call as it can slow down the syncing between audio and video making conversations difficult.
Over the past year with many children taking part in school over the internet, educators have discovered that children cannot concentrate for long periods of time in front of a screen. For families with young children, having shorter, more frequent video calls might be better than long, drawn out ones.
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