Networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace are not the only sites that are being visited by senior citizens. Twitter and an Australian based site known as Letters, are popular with the older crowd, reasons being that these are simple ways to keep those that they know updated and connected without having to write long diatribes and send it through the mail or having to call them. This element of trying to remain connected is a general part of human nature; we all have a desire to feel like we fit in somewhere and have people that care about us. Once old age sets in, we may lose our significant others or fall out of love with them and remain unhappy and displeased with the way that we are living and these different social networks are a way to keep connected with the outside world. This desire to be connected with the outside world is now easily obtained as long as internet access is available to these older gentlemen and ladies.
The need to have human contact is prevalent in all societies. This is a distinct human characteristic in which we want to have someone else for company. This person can exist physically with us, be in our imagination (as little children tend to do), or now they can be halfway across the world and we may keep in contact with them through electronic means. We desire to have contact with human beings so that we are not lonely and do not drive ourselves to insanity. This is needed because without human contact with one another the entire population of our seniors would be shut-in their homes, not talking to one another, and presumably rotting away both physically and mentally. In order to keep our seniors entertained we must get them integrated into the world of online communication as this can help them make new friends, connect with old ones and possibly even find new romantic partners that they otherwise would not have known existed.
The number of seniors using social networking sites has increased in the last few years with “2009 has been a tremendous year for the proliferation of Facebook among the elderly. The numbers have been so good that their numbers (55+ age group) has surpassed the number or high school students that saw a decline in demographic share” (techcrunchies.com). The seniors number has grown along with the total growth of users of the site as a national whole; the nation’s use of the site growing by 70.8% as of July 4, 2009. (istrategylabs.com) However the number of seniors on the site has skyrocketed with a growth percentage of 513.7% with the closest growth of an age group behind them only being 190.2% for those that are between the ages of 35 and 54.
The growing number of seniors on the web is happening for a numerous amount of reasons. As those that were previously not in this group but in the business world, before retiring or obtaining social security recipient age, were using computers are more familiar with the mechanics and how to go about on the internet. This new group of seniors is a force to be reckoned with on the web as they are growing in number, giving their opinions on different products more through online shopping sites and blogs, and reconnecting with family, friends and old acquaintances. Another reason that there is a growing number seniors on the web is that the number of seniors is constantly growing as it has no age limit. This makes it that there is an entire year of births added to the population of seniors every year, and with the medical advancements of today the life expectancy is much longer and therefore there are people that are getting quite up there in numbers that are using the web and social networking sites. Seniors tend to have a lot of leisure-time on their hands and during this time, for one reason or another, a lot of seniors spend this time indoors. While indoors they may read, watch television, or they could use their computer and go onto the internet. This amount of leisure time that seniors have available to them makes it so the growing amount of them on these social networking sites is not that hard to believe.
There is a specific need of the elderly community to stay in contact with the world. We need their insights into our social and personal problems. This need is one that is made easier with social networking websites. The desire for the younger generations to listen to their elders is one that appears to be going by the wayside; however the need is still prevalent. The use of social networking sites by the seniors on a global scale is helping to rekindle the passing on of wisdom from our older generations to our younger ones. Since the main objective of these sites is to network people to one another, the main point is that people will remain in contact and can go to one another to share information, ideas, opinions, and business propositions.
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