For the many parents who are required to work late and spend nights away from their children, Skype developed a digital story-telling platform by the name of Bedtime Calls.
With Bedtime Calls, parents are able to remotely tell their child a story before bed, so that bonding can still happen and children better understand why their parents have to be absent.
The digital story tales take the form of fairytales that can be cuztomized to explain why the adult world is different fron the kid world, and why a parent must be away. Since many parents already use Skype as part of their nightly rituals, Bedtime Calls enhanced the bonding experience between parent and child through plot, characters, graphics and split-screen capabilities to simulate face-to-face communication.
Video-Calling Storybooks
Skype's Bedtime Calls Helps Parents Tuck Kids in with a Digital Story
Trend Themes
1. Digital Storytelling Platforms - There is an opportunity for developing more innovative and interactive digital platforms that help parents bond with their children even when away from home.
2. Customized Storytelling - The emergence of customized fairytale storytelling highlights the potential for more customized storytelling that caters to the specific needs of individual families.
3. Virtual Bonding Experiences - As more parents work remotely or travel for work, virtual bonding experiences like Bedtime Calls could become more widespread and commonplace.
Industry Implications
1. Edtech - EdTech companies could create more interactive digital platforms that incorporate storytelling to help parents bond with their children.
2. Publishing - Publishing companies specializing in children's bedtime stories could enter the digital space and develop interactive and customizable digital storybooks.
3. Telecom - Telecom companies could develop and expand their portfolio to include virtual bonding experiences that utilize their existing communication tools like video conferencing.