Keeping up with the times

I’ve been losing a lot of friends lately….

And not in the way you think.

Have you ever heard the saying “getting old is inevitable but aging doesn’t have to be?”  We show our age when we get fixed in our opinions and perspectives. We stay young by being open, curious, and excited to keep learning.

It seems that in the last 10-12 years or so I have noticed that many of my close friends are not willing to step into the modern world of technology and social media.  I can’t tell you how many of them are still carrying around those outdated old cell phones with the capability of doing nothing, other than making a call. They are not on Facebook or Twitter and they definitely do not read any of my blogs. Oh, and although about 50% of them know “how” to use email, that leaves ½ who don’t. The ones who do often use the excuse that they didn’t get my message (and to be frank with you, they didn’t get the message because they hardly EVER check their email)

When I think of some of my friends I’m reminded of my boyfriend's 88 year old mother (she passed away last Dec) but she wanted absolutely Nothing to do with new technology and she was happy as a lark with her telephone “for old people” with the giant buttons and numbers on it.  It was cute on her, but not so much on my friends who are 30 years younger. 

But, I really miss not communicating with my friends and find the situation to be very frustrating.  

So I did a little research on the subject.

This year, some of the nearly 80 million Baby Boomers in the United States have turned 65 and are now “officially” senior citizens.

Social Media isn’t a fad, it’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate.

Looks like there’s hope on the horizon because although Baby Boomers are slow to use new technologies such as social media, smart-phones and tablets, recent data has depicted a paradigm shift in these trends.

In 2005 only 18% of the Baby Boomers read blogs on the internet. The Baby Boomer generation is now among the fastest growing demographic group in terms of online presence and utilization. Social networks like, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter usage among Baby Boomers has nearly doubled to 42%. Additionally, there are more than 15.5 million Baby Boomer users registered to Facebook.

Baby Boomers now spend more money on technology than any other age group!!

Smartphones are finally breaking into the older adult market. Numbers vary, but as many as 15% of people aged 55 and older are using smartphones, according to data from Nielsen.

The Boomer generation isn’t just big — it’s made up of people who think and act differently than previous generations. As Boomers confront “old age,” they will certainly defy what we think it means to “get old.” 

And so....maybe there's still hope for my friends!

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