Prime Virtual Communities For Older Users

It doesn’t have to be difficult for seniors to start using more social platforms. In fact, there are platforms that make it easy, and most of all fun, to find like-minded communities, stay in touch with friends, and join discussions online. We’ll take a look at which social media platforms are most suitable for seniors to forge connections.

1. Facebook

As one of the older social platforms, Facebook has gained a lot of popularity among senior citizens. In a study conducted by the College of Communications of Pennsylvania State University and published on ScienceDirect , research examined what it was exactly that seniors get from Facebook.

From the online survey, 352 seniors over 60 revealed that their primary reasons for using the platform were social bonding, social bridging, responding to family and friends, as well as curiosity. Facebook provides seniors with online communities where they can interact with like-minded individuals.

There are easy ways to discover Facebook Groups , too. Both public and private groups are active places where people post to interact.

For seniors looking to engage online, there are groups and communities for just about anything. From book clubs, to business-related hubs, to online hobby-exchange forums where people can get answers, seniors can find places on Facebook that are thriving with news and insights.

Facebook fulfills many needs for seniors, including being a place where they can meet new people and talk about topics that are interesting to them. It can also help them stay in contact with family members, view photos, share memories, and join online and offline events.

For seniors who love to organize events and get-togethers, Facebook has made it easy for them to create events on Facebook and send out invitations to all their friends and relatives. Facebook is also one of the best apps for making friends in the community . Whatever is going on around them, seniors can search for and see events that are happening near them in their News Feed.

Facebook also offers suggestions based on interests. For example, if a senior citizen is part of a group dedicated to gardening, they will get suggestions for other groups that are also about gardening. Facebook offers seniors endless opportunities to socialize both online and offline.

2. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is yet another social platform with a broad age range. It is not only popular with job-seekers, but with people wanting to find and establish connections in their industries. For seniors, the platform can provide a lot of stimulation because of its useful content.

Even retired seniors can still benefit from using the platform because they can connect with old colleagues, see what’s going on in their industries, and even collaborate with people on new projects or ideas.

LinkedIn also has groups and communities that are easy to join, and which facilitate the need to connect with others. Groups allow seniors to feel like they are still a part of what’s going on out there.

LinkedIn is also a place where companies, businesses, and industries advertise their online and offline events. For seniors who want to stay professionally connected and who want to hone their skills and enlarge their network, LinkedIn is a perfect platform for doing that.

3. WhatsApp

WhatsApp is an excellent way to stay connected with friends and family via instant messaging. It is readily accessible and has a ton of benefits. By encouraging people to build networks, its users can also create WhatsApp communities .

For seniors, the communities feature on WhatsApp makes it easy for them to put related groups into one folder. When optimizing their communities, they can manage their groups from one space, as well as keep their chats focused. For example, their work-related communities can be grouped, and their family-related communities can also be grouped.

With its ease of access, seniors can create new groups, manage communities, and start interacting with others straight away. WhatsApp also allows them to reach out to everyone at once by making an announcement.

Another feature of WhatsApp is that it allows people to also share their location, and enables both audio and video calling at the tap of a button. Document sharing is also easy, as well as sending out photos and videos.

4. YouTube

The amount of footage on YouTube is enormous. The platform can keep seniors stimulated for hours. They can watch, like, share, and comment on anything they interact with. Not only that, they can search for topics that are interesting and important to them.

YouTube also provides a lot of classic movies for free. Seniors can search for their favorite music, documentaries of any topic, news channels, entertainment, educational videos, as well as useful “how to” videos for any problem they encounter in their lives.

There are recipes for just about any dish, DIY and decorating channels, as well as exercise and health videos for active seniors. For especially tech-savvy seniors, they can also make their own channel and upload their own videos if they have some interesting content to share.

5. Blogger

There’s no doubt that seniors have a lot of stories to tell. Some stories are rich in historical detail that only they can recall, and other stories can be as simple as sharing something about their day. For seniors who have considered writing about their lives, starting a blog through a platform like Blogger, is an excellent first step.

Platforms like Blogger allow seniors to start journaling. For seniors looking to start a blog offering their expert advice about something, the platform also fulfills its purpose. Whether they’re looking to reflect on their lives, or start a recipe blog, getting on the platform gives them the exposure they need.

Seniors who are extra keen about blogging can register their own domain through Blogger and start to attract traffic. Another feature of Blogger is that seniors can choose with whom they want to share their blog, so only certain readers will be granted access to read it. However, seniors who want to keep their blogs private can also do so.

Blogger is also a good platform for recording memories, storing photos, and interacting with others by following other blogs. The platform allows bloggers to manage their blog’s settings by moderating comments and responding to people leaving them.

Opportunities for Seniors to Connect Are Endless

These days, with the internet at the tip of our fingertips, seniors don’t need to live isolated lives. Whether they’re of retirement age or are no longer getting the social interactions they crave, using social media can help them feel like they’re still as active as ever.