Seniors & Social Networking

Tweet

Technology surrounds us. A lot of it has to do with keeping up-to-date with the rest of the world.  Instant messaging, email, video chat… they are all quick tools that have enabled many individuals to connect with the next person instantly.  As a result, there has been a paradigm shift in the networking realm – socializing.  Technology may read as “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, esp. in industry” on Google definitions – but in simple terms, it’s all about how we stay connected.

Social networking is more popular, and probably more common than socializing face to face.  Don’t get me wrong, this still happens, and quite frequently, but, how did you find out about Dave and Sally’s barbecue? When were you invited?  And what method was used to bring you to this event?  A majority of the time these questions are answered with one word: Facebook. 

According to the article, Facebook 101: Seniors Learn To Use the Social Network by Jessica Tully, spurred by a desire to stay connected to their children and grandchildren, more seniors are diving into Facebook, and as a result, social-networking instructions are popping up in libraries and even community centers.

A recent Pew Internet study found that 53 per cent of American age 65 and older use the Internet or email; of which, 34 per cent use social networking sites such as Facebook, and from that, 18 per cent use it daily.  In a study by Statistics Canada, it was found that of a possible total of 26 online activities, seniors aged 65 and older averaged 7.6 of activities used.  One-half of online senior home users qualified as “intensive users,” at 47 per cent.

“Retirees who use the Internet regularly are 20 to 28 per cent less likely to be classified as depressed, according to a study published in March in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, by Shelia Cotten, a sociology professor at the University of Alabama-Birmingham,” Tully writes.  Cotten explains that this is because of the connection and sense of community that the Internet provides.

Social networking is a large portion of how society operates today and has quickly become an integral part of how we communicate, whether it’s good news, or bad.  SERC’s Business of Aging: Information Exchange Network (BA:IEN) feels it is an important asset to keep seniors integrated within their community, and is reaching out to invite you to an exciting event on Wednesday, July 25, 2012.

To learn more, click on the image below: