When parents divorce, oftentimes distance further divides parents from their children, and typically the non-custodial parent loses their close relationship with their children. However, thanks to new legislation, this will be avoided through virtual-visitation privileges via the Internet.
Virtual visitation would allow Wisconsin parents already granted visitation rights to have specific times to interact with their children through webcams and instant messaging.
Michael Gough, founder of Internetvisitation.org, is responsible for implementing virtual-visitation bills in Utah and Wisconsin and launching similar legislation in 16 other states.
He said the bill will protect parents from the no factor,\ referring to the possibility of custodial parents restricting access to children out of jealousy or spite for their exes.
Gough said virtual visitation is a good supplement to regular visitation, and legislation would protect whether or not parental cooperation existed.
""I don't see where this shouldn't be an option for everybody,"" Gough said.
Jay Risch, chief of staff for state Sen. Cathy Stepp, R-Yorksville, said, ""This bill is very clear. We didn't want this to be replacing actual physical placement with one parent, because you can't hug an instant message.""
According to Robert Glenn Howard, a communication arts professor specializing in Internet communication, virtual visitation would teach children to be more comfortable with virtual social skills that will help them later in life. However, he added, ""when people are separated by screens, they tend to feel detached emotionally. In a parent-child relationship, that really would be something to consider.""
Howard said Internet communication ""really only could fulfill the more verbal kind of communication and is not an effective way to have an emotionally-laden, shared experience."" He said this is especially important to consider for younger children. However, ""it's better than the phone,"" Howard said.
Risch said the potential for parents to exploit the system and make virtual visitation the primary form of contact is possible, though he said, ""I would be surprised if that happened.""
Lisa Nakamura, a UW-Madison communication arts professor, said, ""You might see a parent more often virtually, but you're trading frequency for intensity."" She said good equipment including large screens and plenty of bandwidth would be necessary to make virtual visits simulate physical ones, and she said this may further the ""digital divide"" between those who have enough money to purchase technology and those who do not.
However, according to Gough, cost is not a major issue. He said only 27 percent of homes do not have computers, and 66 percent of those with Internet already have high-speed access. Gough said only webcams, headsets or microphones and cheap software is needed, which will cost ""literally $100 per side.""
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