gmail use

I have found that students and young adults are NOT nearly as regular about checking email as  older adults. They tend to check twitter, text, snapchat and facebook more regularly. With that being said, I use Gmail for classroom instructions when I am absent. I have found sending an email to students with the instructions and expectations for the day puts the responsibility on the student rather than the substitute teacher. This helps to minimize the excuses of "The sub didn't tell us to do that."  As a sub I read all the instructions that the teacher leaves for the students along with them getting them in a email.  This way no student can say "The sub didn't tell us that".