What are the Benefits of Social Media for Seniors?

A 2021 analysis conducted by a Center survey shows that the gap between the oldest and youngest adults on social media is narrowing. Younger adults are more open to adopting new technologies and innovations. This explains why younger adults have dominated different social media platforms. However, this is gradually changing, with more seniors joining these platforms on a daily basis.

Well, there are several reasons why seniors are starting to like such social media platforms as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The main one is so they can connect with friends and family. But it is more than meets the eye when it comes to the social media benefits for seniors. We have discussed everything in the next section of this article. However, before we get there, let us look at the number of senior citizens on social media.

The Percentage of Seniors on Social Media

A report released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that over 56 million seniors (65 years and older) live in the U.S. Well, this accounts for approximately 17% of the country’s population. Of this number, 61% own smartphones, which they can use to sign up for different social media platforms. Talking of social media platforms, the survey shows that seniors in the U.S. prefer to use Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.

In Australia, 24% of individuals aged 65 years and older access social media at least once every day. Ideally, Australia has a population of 25 million. Of this number, 15 million, or 60% uses social media. Of the 15 million, 2.8 million are people aged at least 55 years. What this tells us is that social media amongst seniors is steadily growing in popularity. And that is because of the following benefits.

The Benefits of Social Media Platforms for Seniors
Social media benefits for seniors include the following.

Helps Seniors Reconnect with Old Friends

Seniors can use social media to reconnect with their friends from childhood or when they were just starting to be independent. Social media platforms, like Facebook, offer a section that provides seniors with a way to reach people who live nearby or they may know. Through this, the chances of bumping into an old friend are higher. Social media also gives senior citizens a chance to forge new friendships. Once you have created an account, social media brings to your attention those who share the same interests as you. This makes it easy to find new friends both nearby and even overseas. Creating new friendships at an older age is special because you get to keep each other’s company and reminiscent of the good old days.

Offers a Quick Way to Connect with Long-distance Family Members

Nothing compares to face-to-face connection or talking to someone in person. But, in today’s world, it is almost impossible to talk to someone in person on a daily basis. That is because, over time, people move to other cities and towns to look for jobs or to start a family. Before you know it, your children and grandchildren will be out of reach. Fortunately, social media for seniors is here to save the day. It creates a platform where senior citizens can share their everyday lives and what they are up to. While this is far from the benefits you get from talking to someone in person, the experience is always amazing. And that is because it makes seniors feel like they are still in the current life of their family members.

Can be Educational

Just because you are 65 years or older does not mean you should stop learning. Social media can come in handy in providing you with knowledge you never had. Such platforms as Twitter and Facebook always make their users aware of the educational opportunities at nearby colleges or out in the community. These platforms achieve that through educational social media accounts. The primary aim of these accounts is to provide the general population with comprehensive knowledge about current events, historical accounts, and even scientific breakthroughs. Seniors can join these accounts to stay up to date and know what is going on around them. Seniors can also scroll through Facebook’s newsfeed, which offers a stunning way to engage in both local and global events.

Allows Seniors to Conduct Research

Social media not only ensures you are up to date with current events; it also makes it easy to conduct research. Maybe you want to start a new venture or simply want to know about a certain topic. Well, one of the best places to find information is social media. Social media allows you to find people who are experts on a number of topics. Most of them are always willing to help and answer all of your questions. You can connect with them to understand the topics of interest better. Seniors should be careful, though, as social media can sometimes provide misleading information. After you have carried out your research through social media, make sure you counter-check before moving on with your plans.

Keeps Seniors Entertained

Thanks to social media; seniors no longer have to feel lonely whenever they are home alone. Different social media platforms offer different forms of entertainment. In fact, most social media platforms were created to help people connect with loved ones and to keep them entertained. That being said, seniors can find old TV shows, which can be a real blast from the past. They can also find informative articles as well as read e-books. Another source of entertainment is games. Social media platforms have lots of games that senior citizens can play either on their own or with a friend/family member. Plus, some social media platforms have song lyrics that can help seniors pass time. Simply put, there are plenty of entertaining activities that seniors on social media can take part in.

Allows Seniors to Share Their Experiences Growing Up

Seniors not only gain from the educational resources that different social media platforms provide; also, they can contribute. Given that the world was a totally different place when senior citizens were growing up, seniors can take advantage of this to share their experiences. How it was growing up in the 50s or even 40s. They can tell us more about what has changed since then and what really got them excited and going. People love it when they are taken back in time, and seniors can massively help with this. They can organize online forums where they virtually meet with the younger generation to provide guidance and advice, as well as constantly remind young people where they came from. Social media also makes it easy for seniors to share their experiences through articles and e-books.

Offers Opportunities for Work

Most active seniors are still strong and lively at age 65. This means they can still work after retirement. But, as a senior, where do you find work that best suits your needs? Well, one of the places to look for a job is social media. Social media is a busy platform with a lot going on at any given time. From current events to potential employers looking to hire people of a particular age group, social media has it all. Seniors can take this opportunity to view job listings on social media platforms and determine which one is best for them. Social media also makes it easy for senior citizens to work as freelancers and consultants. They can highlight the kind of services they offer and make decent money out of these services.

Provides a Platform to Start a New Business Venture

Most seniors still feel like they have what it takes to work in an organization and deliver. However, a good number of companies will not hire them. That is because these companies feel seniors are too old, and, therefore, are unlikely to perform. Most of these companies also believe that seniors are not so tech-savvy. Well, thanks to social media; seniors no longer have to be forced into retirement. Social media platforms enable senior citizens to come up with a whole new business venture that can fetch them good cash years after retirement. All that seniors need to do is create a business account that gives them an online presence. Once they have an established business account, seniors can sell all kinds of products and services. Having an online business venture not only keeps senior citizens busy but also boosts their mood since they will be doing what they love.

Gives Seniors an Opportunity to Grow an Existing Business

Social media not only makes it effortless to start a new venture but also seniors can rely on it to grow an existing business. Seniors who have been running their own businesses can incorporate social media to boost sales by reaching out to more customers. Seniors can set up their businesses online where they interact with their customers. They can alert their customers of new products, discounts, and even opening hours. They can also inform them of their home delivery services as well as how their businesses are supporting nearby communities and initiatives. All these will get customers thrilled and wanting to be part of the business. This, in turn, improves the popularity of the business, thereby, resulting in more profits.

Inspires Civic Engagement

Social media can also inspire civic engagement by raising awareness concerning crucial issues in society. Seniors who are active on social media can be involved in these generational movements. This enables them to give their insights into the key issues in society and how they can be fixed. Given that the whole thing is online, the insights of seniors are likely to reach a larger audience. Moreover, social media gives seniors a chance to freely talk about the issues they are facing at home or in care homes. This, therefore, makes it easier for caregivers, family members, friends, and other members of the public to know exactly how to handle them.

Conclusion

Social media is a handy tool not just for the younger population but also for senior citizens. As seen above, the benefits of social media for seniors range from reconnecting and meeting with family and friends to starting a new venture or improving an existing one. With all these benefits, it is unsurprising that the percentage of seniors joining different social media platforms keeps growing.

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