On March 27, 2009, the “USA Today” news story, “Boomers make social networks a place of their own,” made the front page. Writer Marco R. della Cava reports a new upward trend of Baby Boomers and older seniors joining the social networking movement. “Sixteen-and-a-half million adults age 55 and older engage in social networking, according to Internet monitoring site com-Score.”
Even if your grandpa has not yet indicated a desire to join Facebook or MySpace, he might want to join another social network site that appeals to seniors, such as Eons.com or TBD.com. Perhaps your grandma might want to save money by doing her craft shopping on the Internet after getting advice from her online knitting group.
If you know a Baby Boomer or a senior who wants to begin social networking, pass along these simple tips for online communication:
1. Use caution when talking with strangers on the Internet; people are often not what they portray themselves to be on the Internet. Beware of what people actually say in emails, and beware of information included in individual social profiles.
2. Explain the discoverability of many forms of communication, including email, electronic payment information, social network profiles, comments on sites like MySpace and Facebook, blog entries, and Twitter messages.
3. Read about money-making opportunities with a healthy dose of skepticism. Scam artists use social network sites to recruit people into scams such as Internet-based businesses. For example, you don’t want your grandma to pay a fee to access bogus job listings for freelance writers.
4. Find love on the Internet. Some users join social network sites because they are excited by the prospect of meeting potential partners from all over the world. They might even stumble across a compatible person with similar interests and beliefs. Ask a new user if social networking to find love is his or her personal goal.
5. Use creativity to build a unique social profile. You can assist a new user in writing a profile that helps him or her to connect with new friends. The social network profile should include enough information for people to know about your personality and preferences, but you should not supply enough information for a stranger to find you in real life.
Seniors and Baby Boomers contribute significantly to the increase of Internet users over the last few years. Help newcomers to the Internet protect their personal identity and information before they sign up for membership in social network sites.
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