Giving Facebook a ‘like’ at 99
Just like the rest of us, Jean Leslie logs onto Facebook and before she knows it, a couple of hours have passed.
Amazing really, considering 99-year-old has only 62 ‘‘friends’’.
She enjoys ‘‘liking’’ remarks other people have made, but does get fed up with some of the stuff other people like.
Leslie is probably in with a shout as Marlborough’s, maybe even New Zealand’s, oldest Facebook user.
The Blenheim resident turns 100 in December but has no interest in reaching 100 friends by then.
‘‘I just want to know the people that I want, I’m not fussy about that,’’ she said.
The hi-tech great-granny can’t understand what all the fuss is about when it comes to computers and social media.
‘‘Why not keep going? Even if you the have to press a few buttons, you only have to learn to do that.
‘‘Don’t wait until you get to be 90. Get used to it before that and get into it.
‘‘Life’s good, and it’s good to live so make the most of it. Living is fun.’’
Before computers, mobile phones and the internet, Leslie had to write letters to describe the exotic places she went.
Nowadays, people don’t even send photographs home, she said. They upload them directly to Facebook.
So that’s where the 99-year-old has learnt to visit while surfing the web on her iPad, waiting to catch a post in her newsfeed and give it a ‘‘like’’.
‘‘I can’t get out and do things, I’ve got to stay put because my legs are no good,’’ she said. ‘‘I sit down in the afternoon when I’ve got a bit of time and pick it up. Before I know it, I’ve had a couple of hours of entertainment.’’
Technology has come a long way in Leslie’s lifetime - from analogue landlines to touch-screen pocket-computers but she’s always tried to stay ahead of the curve, and learned to use a computer in her 80s.
Social media offered many opportunities for older people as it gave a convenient way to speak with loved ones, said Leslie, who was born and bred in Marlborough.
Facebook was a way to break down barriers and seniors should not be afraid to jump online and give it a go, she said.
Granddaughter Melissa Tripe said it was impressive that her nana was open to new technologies.
‘‘I think it’s cool. Our whole family is fairly tech-savvy. Nearly all of her children are on Facebook,’’ she said.
‘‘It’s neat for us to put a photo up and knowing that people like Nana will be able to see it and stay connected with everybody.’’