Preserve Family History for Future Generations

Leave a legacy for family and loved ones

Research indicates that the more one knows of their family history, the greater their emotional health, self-control, and happiness within their family unit is.

In 2001, a psychologists Dr. Fivush and Dr. Duke set out to test the hypothesis that children who knew a lot about their families coped better when faced with challenges. The correlation between knowing where your grandpa grew up and your ability to bounce back from a failure may seem absurd. However, the answer lies in one’s sense of belonging and their connection to a larger family narrative.

A Black grandfather and granddaughter work on a laptop together

How Storii Can Help

Storii gives families and individuals the ability to easily capture life stories.

Storii's online platform and mobile app has engaging features and a database of hundreds of life story questions that can be answered with text, photos, video, and/or audio. Life stories can then be printed or shared digitally.

Storii also provides an automated phone call service. Subscribers receive recurring calls at a designated date and time where a life story question is asked. They can then press a button to record their answer. Afterward, that audio file is uploaded to their Storii account.

3 Ways of Preserving Family History

A Native American family poses outside of a home wearing traditional clothing

1Passing on traditions

Overtime and as they’re passed down, traditions convey a sense of history that is important for future generations to connect with. Family traditions link strongly to a sense of belonging and identity. They often are associated with positive memories, too.

Asian grandparents sit on a sofa and talk with a young grandson

2Sharing stories and memories

One of the simplest and easiest ways to preserve family history is to share stories. Record conversations with older relatives in your family, capturing their life stories while they’re still alive to tell them. Talk to your grandchildren about what it was like when you were growing up. Ask your parents about things you would have been oblivious to when you were a kid. Consider the legacies generations before you have passed down. What things have defined you life and your family narrative? The good and the bad.

A woman holds an old black and white photograph of two people on their wedding day

3Converting family photos and videos

Evolving technology has left many of us with our own videos in older formats. Don't let boxes of vintage film rolls or VHS tapes collect dust in an attic or basement. There are DIY methods and professional services for converting these types of videos into digital formats that can be stored, shared, and backed up.

As for the shoeboxes and albums of old photos, all you need is a way to scan them into digital files. You can likely outsource this task to your local Walgreens or Boots. However, these days there are even scanning apps you can download to your smartphone if you don't own a printer with this functionality.