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Social media such as Facebook and Twitter are hot topics of late. Some say if you are not a part of the trend, you are missing out on life. Others say the social media sites are time-consuming, distracting, and dangerous. Some people dabble in the growing phenomenon, others are addicted spending many hours a day interacting with known and unknown “friends.” Yet another segment of society has no idea what all the fuss is about.
Needless to say, you quite possibly are on the above list to some extent. Facebook and Twitter are the two biggest social media sites, although MySpace and others are certainly available to those who are interested. MySpace is more popular with the younger crowd. Those on Twitter send out short, 140 character ”tweets” that, if you are not following the site throughout the day, you will surely miss.
Facebook beneficial to seniors
In my opinion, the one us seniors would most benefit from is Facebook. Although I originally joined Facebook last year as a way to promote this website, in recent months a growing number of family members and friends have joined and connected. We are able to share information and photos we might not otherwise because we all live in various locations around the United States and lead busy lives.
Some people say Facebook is too time consuming. It can be if you allow it to take over your life. Because there are many games on Facebook, some people do spend hours playing games and sharing results with their friends.
Others try to add as many “friends” as possible whether they know them or not just to get their numbers higher. I have never understood why that is important. I would rather connect with a few special friends, than have a bunch of strangers just to brag about how many so-called friends I have. Unfortunately, the more friends you have the more of their messages you have to plow through to get to those you might consider more important.
Facebook helpful in locating former friends and classmates
What I have found most beneficial are the connections I have made to former friends and classmates from high school or past jobs. Now that I am in my sixties, locating and connecting with people I used to see on a daily basis during my high school years has been a blast. Most of us have fairly current pictures on our profile, and it is fun to see how everyone looks now.
Some believe that social media sites are dangerous as you may meet the wrong people. To me it depends on why you are there. Since I am not looking for my next spouse or significant other, my whole attitude about whom I choose to connect with is probably different from someone who is lonely and wanting to meet someone. I would not want to meet someone on line although I know people personally who have done so with mixed results.
For seniors who enjoy connecting with “old” friends and acquaintances or want to locate someone they lost touch with, Facebook is the way to go. Also, it is a great way to connect with family members who live many miles away. The photo albums are a great place to share recent photos. I keep in touch with a sister who recently moved to a western state, I live in the mid-west. My brother lives about a twelve-hour drive to the southwest. We have a great time sharing photos and commenting on each other’s “wall” when we do not always have time for a phone call or struggle with time zone issues.
Beware of obsessions
AARP, the Magazine had an article recently about online obsession, and I certainly understand the concern if someone does become obsessed with a social media site. Spending all day doing nothing but playing games or talking to strangers, as one person put it, probably is not the most productive use of our time. But, for others, it is a safe lifeline out of their homes, especially if they are homebound.
Used with discretion, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and others can be a fun alternative to writing letters, sending cards, placing telephone calls, or sending emails. Seniors, especially, need to use wisdom as to whom they connect with, but connect they will. As a modern way to stay connected with the expanding world around us, I do not see the harm in joining in on the social media explosion as long as it is all in good fun.
If fact, you can reach me on both Facebook and Twitter. The latter is connected with this website, and I only use it to send these articles out to other caregivers and those who work with the elderly. But you are certainly welcome to join me on Facebook or receive an occasional tweet on Twitter.
