By Stephanie Weg
Social Media has surpassed the stage at which it is considered a teenager's pastime. It is taken seriously as a means of communication, has been tried by 86% of all consumers (aged 16 and above) on the planet, is used on a daily basis by just under half of them and has become a hot topic for businesses in all industries.
But what about older generations? What about people aged 65+ who have not grown up with digital technology? They are often discounted when Social Media is discussed. I say: Missed opportunity! Social Media is the (unknown) dream of many elderly people because it can support and serve lots of their needs very well.
True, there is an issue of today’s seniors not being very technology-savvy, but two factors make the use of digital technology by seniors more likely and easier in the future.
Firstly, the easier and more intuitive digital devices become, the more accessible they will be for people who lack the experience or energy to deal with highly scientific machines. The usability of an iPad is on a completely different level than that of a computer ten years ago and will improve further.Secondly, more and more people who have used digital technology in their work life will be seniors in the future. For them, it will be a smaller step to use Social Media on digital devices than for people 10 or 20 years older.
If seniors are willing and able to use devices which enable Social Media use, some of their core needs and interests can be addresses through this channel very effectively:
1. Contact to the family. Most seniors care a lot about their family, want to be in touch with their kids and grandchildren and love to participate in their lives.
Social Media is great here. While a call will still be very much appreciated, people can now keep up to date with what is happening in their family’s busy life through the channels on which these people are anyway – Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. Of course, there might be an issue around posting your latest party shots where your grandma can see them, but this restriction might actually improve the quality of the overall content on the Social Web
2. Community. A lot of elderly people face isolation. Being retired, they have a lot more time than people who are working. Often, a lot of this time is spent in front of the TV or reading, while seniors would love to participate in active life, but might not have like-minded contacts or the physical ability. Imagine how digital technology could help here! Imagine what elderly people could contribute to the online community with their time, experience and usually very strong mindset of “giving back”.
3. Information & products: Seniors want to get information on lots of things. Events. Tips which make life easier. Health information. Shopping! Most of this information is now available on the internet. Especially for those who might not be as mobile and networked as they were in the middle of our lives, Social Media can be a great help. How much easier would life be for an elderly person if they could search for the latest adjustable beds online, read reviews by their friends order the model they like best online.
In summary: Social Media holds great potential for seniors. Digital technology will get more and more easy to use while some of the very core needs of seniors can be covered quite easily through existing Social Media platforms. Pages like eldr.com and growingbolder.com give a good idea of how this can be achieved. Now it is up to brands to think about how to use Social Media for their older target groups. And it is up to everyone to help elderly people in their circle to get access to this and to take the first steps. I think I have to consider getting an iPad for my grandma.
No comments:
Post a Comment