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Programs Teach Teens to Help Their Elders Sign Onto Facebook

by Terrence O'Brien on January 13, 2011 at 05:05 PM

facebook loginAs communication has moved increasingly to the digital realm -- especially into the world of social networking -- some seniors have struggled to keep up with their families and these increasingly alien technologies. To help bridge the generational gap, tech-savvy teenagers are stepping in, and getting their elders online.

There are, of course, some stumbling blocks. Teens who have grown up online often take certain instincts and skills for granted, and seniors often roll their eyes at, or are discouraged by the unfamiliarity of the Web. To help teens better deal with the task of teaching their forebears to use a computer and the Internet, a number of training programs have sprung up. Nonprofits like Net Literacy and schools such as Pace University enroll teens, and train them to teach seniors how to use a computer. Some of these programs go to extreme lengths, like making teens use a computer while wearing Vaseline-covered glasses and having their fingers taped together, in order to get a grasp on the physical hurdles that some seniors are forced to face.

Depending on the polling source, anywhere from 30- to 58-percent of people over the age of 65 are online. Despite that respectable number, as their families rely more on avenues like Facebook to stay in touch, it's increasingly important for seniors to get online in order to feel connected with their loved ones. Numbers indicate that the fastest growing segment of the population on social networking sites are those over the age of 74, so it's clear this fact is not lost on them.

Tags: elderly, facebook, seniors, SocialNetworking, top, web

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