Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Social savvy seniors
Social media use by older adults is on the rise in the last decade
Many seniors who were resistant to using technology before the pandemic might have learned through necessity some of the benefits of social media along with the ins and outs of Zoom.
These tools helped keep them connected to loved ones while in isolation or enabled them to take a remote exercise class offered by their local senior center.
A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan American think tank based in Washington, D.C., that provides information on social issues, public opinion and demographic trends shaping the United States and the world, showed that 45% of those age 65 and older reported using social media in 2021 compared with 84% of those ages 1829 and 81% of those 30 to 49.
“At the same time, presence on social media among Americans 65 and older grew about fourfold since 2010, while use by the youngest adults remained relatively constant in that time frame,” according to Pew. “Since 2010, the gap between adults under 30 and adults 65 and older shrank from 71 points to 39 points.”
Nancy Niggel of Montgomery County, 59, has been a Facebook user for quite some time. She also has an Instagram account she uses to follow other people, but rarely posts. Niggel uses social media for her career in management as well as for personal interests.
“I follow a lot of mosaic crafting groups,” she said, adding that the Mosaic Society of Philadelphia is one in particular. “In the beginning I asked a lot of questions, but once you get going you can ride on other people’s questions and learn a lot of stuff.”
Niggel’s favorite time to get caught up on social media is in the evening.
“I just lay there in bed and look at my stuff in bed before going to sleep,” she said.
Niggel follows some cousins and two of her siblings who live out of state, but she doesn’t follow her grown kids on Facebook.
“I don’t like to know too much about what my kids are up to,” she said. “They will tell me what they want me to know.”
Her time on social media provides her with a sense of belonging and connection.
“You do feel somewhat a part