Grandmas Love Facebook

I love social media. And I’ll be the first person to admit that I am on it every day, multiple times a day.  However, I’m not the biggest fan of Facebook. I mean, yeah, it’s a great way to keep all my pictures in one place and make my mom think she knows what’s going on in my life, but personally Facebook just isn’t my thing. However, the same cannot be said about my grandma.

My grandma loves Facebook.  She checks it every day and it’s always easy to know when she goes on because I get about 14 notifications telling me she liked every picture I’ve posted since last month as well as every picture I’ve ever been tagged in; literally - every single one. At first I just thought Facebook was a fun way for my grandma to feel more connected to my family since she can’t see us as often as she might like. However, Internet use among the elderly can actually have a much greater benefit than just “keeping in touch”.

As we discussed in class, 82 percent of people over the age of 65 use the Internet and 71 percent of these people use it daily, and for good reasons.  Seniors being online can greatly enhance their communication, as I mentioned earlier, it helps them to stay up to date on the lives of their family and friends as well as updating others on what is going on in their lives. The Internet can also improve the health care of seniors due to the immense amount of information available about different conditions, medicines, etc. and can support those who live on their own by providing easy access to rideshare groups. But the most interesting thing I learned is that Internet use can actually ward off depression among the elderly.  

In Tom Oswald’s article, he discusses that around 10 million seniors suffer from depression, which is often brought on by feelings of isolation and loneliness.  However, a new research project that followed the lives of thousands of retired seniors for 6 years found that Internet use can actually reduce the chances of depression by more than 30 percent. That is a huge effect all due to the fact that the Internet gives elderly people the ability to communicate, stay in contact with their social networks, and all in all not feel lonely. However, it all comes down to how one chooses to use the Internet.  If someone chooses to ignore the responsibilities they have and sit in front of the computer instead, it will have a negative impact.  But if it is used in moderation and to do things to enhance daily life, the impacts are likely to be positive.  

So, next time a Facebook notification pops up telling you grandma posted yet another video tutorial that you just “have to try”, think about not only how much joy it brings her to be able to talk to you with such ease, but also the effects it has on her health.