More older adults using Facebook and other social media sites – Tech for the Rest of Us – Orlando Sentinel

More older adults using Facebook and other social media sites – Tech for the Rest of Us – Orlando Sentinel


A study released today shows how more older adults — defined by the study as 50 and older — are using social media
More older adults using social media sites, such as Facebook

More older adults using social media sites, such as Facebook

sites, such as Facebook, than ever before. In fact, a survey by researchers determined the number has nearly doubled. It’s gone up tremendously (88 percent) for those 50 to 64 and doubled for those 65 and older.

This makes sense. Older adults tend to be the last group of tech adopters. Facebook has reached such a mass level that everyone is expected to have a page.

This also means you need to watch your language ‘cause grandma could be reading.

For the story I wrote about the study, I spoke to a handful of older adults. Their ages ranged from 62 to 78. Some liked to read what their younger friends and loved ones were doing. They are more lurkers — liked to watch but not participate. Some didn’t want to add their comments publicly. If they had something to share, they would either send an e-mail or direct message.

John Evans Henderson uses social media in is pursuit of another career. He sees the writing on the wall and knows he has to adapt to survive. But he’s been a techie for years so it felt like a natural progression to him.

I took months of convincing before my retired father, who claims to be 67, joined Facebook. The key was explaining (over and over again) how he could see more pictures and videos of his only granddaughter, Lily, who lives in California.

He didn’t understand why all these other people wanted to “friend” him. He accepted the ones he knew. However, I

Profile picture

would get grumbling e-mails from him every time one of his “friends” put up something mundane, such as going grocery shopping.

“Why would I care about something like that?” he often complained.

I told him to ignore it. That’s what everyone else does.
He’s still adjusting. (He opts to use a photo of my parents’ dog as his profile picture.)
I’m waiting for the day I see an update by him: “Just grabbed some OJ at the grocery store with the wife.”