Benefits Of Social Media For Seniors
Social media may seem like a younger person’s tool, but there are many benefits to using social media for people of all ages. Adapting to current trends and technology can initially feel overwhelming, but once you understand the basics of social media and how it can benefit your life, you may be surprised by how much you enjoy it.
What Is Social Media?
Social media is a broad term for many websites and applications that allow users to connect. There are hundreds of social media platforms, each with unique features, abilities, and audiences. Social media has no age limit, and you’re never too old to join a platform if you find value in it. Still, a few commonly used social media platforms beneficial for older adults include Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Pinterest.
While Facebook isn’t technically the first social media platform, people often see it as the original platform. Facebook set the standard for social media in the 2000s and remains one of the largest platforms.
Facebook is a place for you to connect with loved ones and friends. Each user has a profile where you can share updates, pictures, and videos. You can also join private or public groups to connect with new people.
Instagram is a social media platform where you can share photos and videos. You can think of it as an online photo album where you can save and caption all of your favorite moments. Instagram is also popular for its story feature, which allows you to shoot and share quick videos that are accessible to view by anyone who follows you within 24 hours.
Instagram is under the Facebook umbrella. Meta owns both platforms, making it easy to manage both profiles. You can connect your profile and easily share photos and videos on both platforms with one click.
LinkedIn is similar to Facebook because you can share updates, photos, and videos, but geared toward professionals. You can think of it as a professional networking platform. Instead of sharing personal updates about your family or friends, LinkedIn is a great place to connect with people who have similar professional or intellectual interests as you. It’s also an excellent place for seniors to find volunteer opportunities and share their career wisdom after retirement.
Pinterest is a fun image-sharing platform that allows you to discover new things like recipes, workouts, home decor, fashion, and inspiration. The platform enables you to create boards to pin different images that interest you. Many of these images have links to a website to learn more about the subject or topic.
Why Is Social Media Good For Seniors
Aside from being a fun way to pass the time, social media can be a great tool for seniors. No matter the platform, social media helps you stay connected with loved ones, combat social isolation, and learn new things.
Stay Connected With Loved Ones
Whether your closest friends and family live down the street or across the country, social media is an excellent way to stay connected with them. Not only can you passively share photos and videos, but many social media apps have direct messaging and video calling so you can keep up with your favorite people.
Combat Social Isolation
Social isolation is something that affects nearly 25 percent of seniors. One may be socially isolated for many reasons, but a big factor for seniors is being homebound. You may be unable to leave home because of a medical condition or lack of transportation, but with social media, being homebound doesn’t mean you have to be alone. You can connect with loved ones and meet new people from the comfort and safety of your home.
Learn New Things
There’s tons of information on social media. Social media can be great for learning about new hobbies, trends, movies, books, and fashions. Many accounts are dedicated to educating their audience, and engaging with those accounts can be a fun way to find new interests and learn new things.
Staying Safe on Social Media
People of all ages get nervous about social media because of the perceived dangers of sharing things online. Yes, there are scammers on the internet who prey on social media, but there are safety measures you can take to stay safe.
- Keep your profiles private. All social media platforms have privacy options that allow you to keep your profile private so only friends can see what you post.
- Don’t connect with people you don’t know. If you don’t know someone, don’t connect with them. You can still meet new people through public groups and forums, but you don’t have to “friend” them and allow them access to your profile.
- Never share personal information with people via social media, even if you think you know them. Unfortunately, creating a fake account is easy, and scammers may pose as someone you know to get your personal information. Never use social media as a means of sharing sensitive information.
Social Care With Visiting Angels
At Visiting Angels, we want our clients to stay connected with their families, even if they can’t physically spend time with them. Through our social care program, caregivers help clients adopt a digital social life to gain technology's emotional and mental benefits.
Caregivers can also help with at-home chores and personal tasks like cooking, medication reminders, grooming, mobility, and light housekeeping. Our goal is to help clients live safely and independently at home, no matter their needs.
If you’re a senior on the Alabama Gulf Coast, contact Visiting Angels Gulf Shores to schedule a complimentary consultation and learn more about our at-home care services.