Dean Stewart - Why Seniors Use Facebook

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We all know why teens use Facebook, but more parents and grandparents are now getting hooked too!

It’s seven pm on a week night. There’s a very good chance that at least some of you are sitting in front of a computer with Facebook on the monitor. Why are you there?

Here are ten reasons why senior parents are using Facebook every day.

1. Community Group Pages.

These Facebook pages, often started by senior citizen activity centres or chamber of commerce committees can help senior parents keep up on meetings and events that they would like to attend, and what happens in the events they are unable to attend.

2. Spiritual Growth and Comfort.

There are many spiritual and religious related pages on Facebook, some maintained by churches, and others by people that just enjoy sharing inspirational materials that seniors may enjoy or find valuable.

3. Book, Music, and Visual Arts Discussion Groups.

This type of Facebook group gives  a wonderful opportunity to find others with similar tastes in reading, listening, and other arts and crafts. They can discuss favourites, and discover new favourites by following these types of Facebook group pages.

4. Money Saving Opportunities.

By monitoring the pages of favourite coffee shops, supermarkets, and other frequently shopped stores, seniors can learn of in-store specials and other daily opportunities for savings that don’t show up in the stores’ weekly ads or mailers.

5. FaceBook Games and Activities.

Yes, believe it or not, there is a good chance that at least some seniors have found interest in games such as Farmville or other Facebook applications. Hey, you didn’t think playing and pretending was only for the young, did you?

6. Old Friends in Other Places.

As people retire, they don’t always remain living where they lived during their working lives. FaceBook is a great way for us to stay in touch with each other on a daily or weekly basis. With the ability to share photographs and stories, connections can remain rich, though they may be divided by great distance.

7. Making New Friends.

Through Facebook wall contact with old friends, seniors are finding new friends and acquaintances with whom to share lives and build relationships. This helps to keep growing new connections in the world, and not feel isolated by less physically active lives.

8. School and Alumni Group Pages.

By joining and staying active on college and high school graduation pages on Facebook, seniors can be alerted to alumni get-togethers and keep track of the lives and deaths of old schoolmates with whom they’ve lost contact.  And now, we come to the two most important reasons that seniors are on Facebook every day.

9. Grandchildren.

Grandchildren often begin spending less time with grandparents as they move into their teen years, or they may simply live too far away for them to see each other every day. Seniors can keep an eye on the grandkids lives and activities by looking in at the grandkids’ Facebook walls on a regular basis. You should find this to be a good thing, as it can help alleviate your guilt for moving far away or not insisting on the kids keeping in regular touch with Grandma and Grandad.

10. Embarrassing Their Adult Children.

This is my favourite. Telling stories about our kids’ childhood, and occasionally saying really embarrassing things, like; “Wow, son, it’s really groovy that you got that cool promotion at work!”

Now you know why it is that your seniors are spending time on Facebook every day. It can be fulfilling, uplifting, fun, and even allow you to continue embarrassing your grownup kids in front their friends, long after they thought they could stop worrying about such things!

So, what are you doing right now?

Courtesy of Dean Stewart - WebSafety NZ.
 

Published 24th Nov 2011

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