Social Media and Seniors

According to the AARP more than half of seniors age 65 and older are online and 1/3 of them use social networks.  So if you think you're too old for social media, think again; survey after survey of elderly Americans, even those in the oldest age groups are participating in, loving it, and finding it very useful.  Here are just a few of the many benefits of social media for seniors.

Keeping Families Close

How many people love to hear from their children and grandchildren?  While you would think because almost everyone has a cell phone these days it would be easier than ever to get a hold of people, but unfortunately that's not always the case.  Social media provides a great option for seniors to both keep in touch and keep up to date with family members both close and far.

Sharing Photos and Videos

Traditionally when someone would takes a picture before they could send it to a family member; they would have to go get it devolved which could take a few hours to a few days, then send it in the mail to the person which usually takes a couple days.  The whole process can take a week or more.  Now with digital pictures and videos parents can literally take a picture or video of their kids and post it on Facebook for the grandparents within a mater of seconds.  What a great way to create a feeling of closeness never before possible with mailed pictures.

Discounts

The blog senior care corner recently had a post about this very subject and said the following: Everyone likes saving money, not just seniors, though for many older Americans on fixed incomes getting a deal is essential and not just a fun thing to do. Social media provides access to many opportunities to save money, whether it’s discount offerings by companies on their Facebook pages, coupons shared between Twitter users, or the deals offered in many communities on Groupon, just to name a few. Not only can going social be fun, but profitable as well.

There are many other ways social media can benefit seniors, but before you can really understand, you just need to try it!  Computers, the Internet, and social media can be an overwhelming thing for many people to understand, not just seniors, but with a little help and experience you will see just how fun and easy it is!