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Activities For Senior Citizens: Seniors On Facebook Building Healthy Brains
Boomers and Social Media is an article from eMarketer.com that looks at facts from May, 2009. That evidence found that 47% of all baby boomers who use the Internet maintain a profile on at least one social networking site. That's a boost of 15% from 2008. Facebook appears to be the social media site used by most baby boomers and the WWII generation. (via New Report Shows Boomers, Seniors Like Social Media.)
I have enthusiastically promoted seniors on computers and the Internet as a great way of perpetuating a special quality of life for my aging peers, especially in the field of memory improvement. I, myself, possess a Facebook account and several other social media accounts, as well. I examine my Facebook page nearly every day because it helps me keep up with persons I know all over the globe. Actually, I have never met some of them face-to-face, and others I have not seen for fifty years or more!
On Facebook you will run across many activities for senior citizens, as well as special groups about almost everything you can envision. It is probable that you will find alumni of your high school, people who grew up in your home town, or even your family! If not, you can start up a senior community of your own, or any other kind of group you like! Seniors on Facebook have a number of groups, and I subscribe to a few of them myself.
If you are reading this it is probable that you are a computer user. As such, you will already be aware of the advantages to be gained by owning and making us of a personal computer. However, you more than likely also know that many older folks are unmindful of the things they can do with a computer, or are manifestly put off by the notion of using computers. This is a problem for both them and for us, because we desire the associations we might have with them. In fact, if you are the child or grandchild of a senior who doesn't use a computer or the Internet, you will almost undeniably gain from sending that person a duplicate of this article!
Here are a few of the features of Facebook that make it so outstanding for seniors:
The Wall consists of a location on every user's page that encourages acquaintances to post notes for the user to see.
Photos, where Facebook users can upload albums and photos. Privacy settings may be determined for specific albums, limiting the groups of users that can view an album. For example, the privacy of an album can be set so that only the Facebook user's friends can see the album, while the privacy of another album can be set so that all Facebook users can see it. Another feature of the Photos application is the ability to "tag", or label users in a photo. For instance, if a photo contains a user's friend, then the user can tag the friend in the photo. This sends a notification to the friend that they have been tagged, and provides them a link to see the picture.
Status, which allows members to apprise their friends of their place and what they are up to. Depending on how privacy is set up, those who can look at a user's profile can also observe that user's Wall. Facebook also permits users to post attachments to the Wall.
News Feed, which appears on every member's homepage and highlights information including profile changes, expected events, and birthdays of the user's friends, if users decide to allow this.
Facebook Notes, a blogging feature that allows tags and embeddable images.
Gifts , which allows users to send virtual gifts and cards to their friends
Marketplace, which lets users post free classified ads.
Facebook is truly simple to subscribe to, and the levels of privacy you can get will make nearly all seniors comfortable. If you want to try it out without joining, use your web browser to proceed to the Facebook internet page, Facebook.com. Once you have arrived at that page, click on the "Find Friends" link at the bottom of the page. On the next page, enter my name, Robert Alan McCluskey, in the space labeled Search for People, and press the enter key or click the magnifying glass. Next you will find a page that identifies me. Click on my name (Robert Alan McCluskey again) to substantiate that I am the valid person and you will see a small extract of my Facebook profile. If you are interested in proceeding, click on the Sign Up button to the right of my profile and follow the instructions. You will effortlessly reveal the many activities for seniors, as well as lots of other splendid features! See you there!
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