How a family of entrepreneurs keep in touch online — by Annabel Wilson
“It’s a good way of seeing what everyone is enjoying.” Lady Prue Wallis is keen on kin2kin — the new app that lets people share photos and moments with their next of kin, in a safe and private online space.
Just launched, kin2kin was developed by Wanaka businessman Hamish McGregor as a simple and family-friendly way of using digital technology to communicate within a whanau circle.
Users like the Wallis family have been quick to see its benefits. Prue and husband Sir Tim Wallis enjoy plugging into the latest stories from their sons and their families as the four Wallis brothers balance managing Minaret Station alongside busy domestic life.
Where Facebook owns any photographs you upload, sharing on kin2kin means you remain autonomous, retaining the rights to your images. You can’t accidentally share your shots and posts with the world, either. You simply invite family members to be part of your group, little ones included.
Carrie Wallis, busy mother of twins, wife to Nick and self-declared “average smartphone user” says she’s “loving kin2kin”. She explains “It’s so good having a way to share photos of the girls without having to broadcast them to the whole universe! My family lives in Canterbury so it’s a lovely way of strengthening the girls’ connections with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins up there.”
Matthew Wallis also enjoys the inter-generational ties the app reinforces. “With kin2kin the aspect I feel really makes the app is seeing my father who is by his own admission not a great user of technology being able to interact with his grandchildren and stay up to date with their endless array of activities.”
Children are digital natives, being born into a world where the internet is everywhere and engaging with technology often happens intuitively. Roles can be reversed as parents and grandparents are shown how to navigate the online world of games, apps, blogs and websites by their offspring. This is where kin2kin comes in. Where other social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram,Twitter, Snapchat and Pinterest are off limits for anyone under 13 (due to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act), with kin2kin parents can set up profiles for their kids, opening up avenues for secure interaction within a private group setting. Extended family members (and honorary ones) can also be added to the ring-fenced environment. Messaging and photo-sharing unfolds at the touch of a screen, and the ability to share moving images is planned for the next development phase.
The extended Wallis family share highlights across the app most days, and are happy it’s so easy to use. “The benefits are definitely worth the time it takes to set up and get everyone connected on it,” Carrie says.
ANNABEL WILSON is a writer and educator from Wanaka. A self-proclaimed PANK (Professional Aunt, No Kids), she is currently living in the inspirational windy city of Wellington where she is working on various film, theatre and media projects.
