Seniors and Social Media

Senior citizens are among the fastest growing demographic using social media platforms. It enables seniors to communicate with long lost friends and family members while accessing pictures of their grandchildren and their friends. They can even learn about brands and even volunteer for causes that they believe in. Here are some benefits of social media for senior citizens.

• Communication

To say that social media is revolutionizing the way families are connected is an understatement. Social media is truly an extraordinary tool for keeping in touch with family and friends. It’s especially true for senior citizens who keep in touch with their children, grandchildren, and in some cases even great-grandchildren. Seniors can easily locate their best friends from elementary school to their college roommates. Grandparents can also improve their relationships with their grandchildren and keep in touch with their accomplishments and interests.

• Researching

The internet is constantly evolving, allowing its users to learn about new things. Seniors often use social media to learn about matters that interest them. In many cases, it leads them to cultivate business ideas and hobbies. However, in other cases, inaccurate information can also be misleading and confusing, especially when relating to health topics.

• Keeping themselves entertained

Senior citizens have the advantage of watching old movies and television shows. They can download and read ebooks, blog posts and articles. They can keep themselves updated with current events by getting the latest news online too. Also, they can play online games with family members, friends and with themselves. Shut-ins or those who can’t get around by themselves won’t feel lonely anymore. With social media, they can stay connected with the world right from the comfort of their homes.

• Asking questions

Using online tools, senior citizens can find answers by reaching out via live chats on many social media platforms. Automated phone menus are often complicated and lead nowhere, which tends to frustrate them. Instead, talking to representatives themselves can help them answer any questions they may have.

• Learning

Just because someone’s out of school or retired doesn’t mean the learning process has to stop for them. It’s a lifetime practice that can be taken up by anyone at any point in time. Seniors can easily sign up for courses online. They can read course materials, online books, articles, posts etc. and constantly learn new things. Because seniors are becoming more adept at technology, it’s given them the confidence to hold their own during conversations with younger generations.
With the use of technology on the rise, we see that over the past few years it’s grown the most amongst seniors. Everyone can find something for themselves using the power of social media, which is definitely a positive thing. Seniors are gradually accepting and beginning to appreciate the benefits provided by technology and social media.