I am a workshop facilitator on Social Networking and Online Communities for Seniors.
Workshops
Contact me about Safe Social Networking for Seniors.
I work with groups in retirement villages, private homes, Ministry of Housing Estates and Neighbourhood Houses.
Up to 20 participants – $100 for one hour – $150 for two hours
Older Internet Users
Social networking has so far largely focused on executives in the business world and young people, because they are tech-savvy and treasured by advertisers.
But there are roughly three times more Boomers than there are teenagers and 20-somethings – and most of them are Internet users who learned computer skills in the workplace. Indeed, the number of Internet users who are older than 55 is roughly the same as those who are aged 18 to 34, according to market research firm Nielsen /NetRatings.
Plus older folks have something the youngsters typically lack: patience. Older users, because they are relatively settled in their ways, will stick with a social network once they get comfortable with it, rather than capriciously skipping to the latest new site when fashion or hormones dictate.
Some prominent entrepreneurs and investors are banking on the prospects that social networks will become popular among this demographic.
VantagePoint Venture Partners is leading a $16.5 million financing round into a social network for people who want to stay connected with existing friends and family, not those trying to hook up with new friends at the hottest club. VantagePoint knows something about what works in social networking: it was among the earliest investors in MySpace.
And there is TBD, which stands for “To Be Determined,” as in: just because you are not 20 and fitted with the hippest mobile gadget doesn’t mean you are heading gently or otherwise into that good night.
Both Boomers and those a tad older, Seniors, are wired to the net and looking for social networks to join.
The new future of older age
The over 55s have discovered the joy of connecting with others online. Unlike the groups on some of the younger social sites, the sites for older users tend to be less superficial and have a more grounded community.
About one-third of people aged 75 and older live alone, and increasingly they are turning to online social networks for support and companionship. Online networks can provide benefits similar to those of real-world groups of friends, but often are easier to assemble and maintain.
One of the greatest challenges or losses that we face as older adults is not our health, but our social network deteriorating on us, because our friends get sick, our spouse passes away as do our friends.
The new future of old age is about staying in society, and staying very connected. Technology is going to be a very big part of that, because the new reality is, increasingly, a virtual reality. It provides a way to make new connections, new friends and new senses of purpose.