Social media may seem like a completely different world, which can be confusing and intimidating, but anyone can use social media to connect online.
Seniors can use social media to connect with each other, family, and friends. Additionally, social media can be a space to connect with like-minded individuals, find and share new ideas, and keep up to date with public figures.
Read below how seniors can use social media to connect and engage online:
Sharing Photos and Videos – Facebook and Instagram
Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram allow users to share photos and videos to their profile for all their friends/followers to view and interact with.
Sharing pictures/videos with others is a fun and easy way to share happenings in your life, as well as see what’s going on in your friends and family’s lives. If you are not able to see your family members that often, the ability to see photos and videos of their daily lives and big life events is priceless.
On Facebook, you can add people you know as ‘friends,’ which allows you to view the content they post on their personal pages, as well as see their activity in your ‘news feed.’ The ‘news feed’ allows you to scroll through and see all your friends’ activity in one place. As mentioned, you can post photos and videos on Facebook, but you can also share text posts, or ‘statuses.’
Instagram is similar to Facebook as you can share photos and videos and follow friends and family’s activity, but it differs in a couple ways:
- Instagram’s way of connecting is ‘following’ people- who can follow you back.
- Instagram is even more photo and video focused than Facebook. Each post must have a photo or video.
- The younger generation tends to use Instagram more frequently, so it is a great way to keep up to date with your grandchildren or younger family friends’ lives.
Both platforms also allow users to follow along with celebrity and public figures’ happenings, if that is something you are interested in. Instagram has become a very popular space for celebrities and public figures in the past years.
Engaging in Online Groups
Seniors can find like-minded individuals online, too. Platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn have groups set up for people with specific hobbies and interests. People can join these groups to engage in discussions with others about specific topics, or they can just join to view the conversations others have.
This creates an opportunity to engage with others and maintain some type of social life from the comfort of your own home.
Sharing Ideas and Creativity on Pinterest
On Pinterest, people can share DIY (Do It Yourself) project ideas, crafts, recipes, interior decor images, etc. Pinterest is a great place to be creative. The platform allows users to save ideas and other content to their profile for later access.
Pinterest is the perfect place for people who love to be creative, cook, bake, craft, make things, etc.
Social Media Privacy
Social Media is a great way to engage with like-minded people and stay connected with friends and family, but it is important to remember online privacy when using social media.
Click here for some social media privacy tips from seniortechclub.com.
