The Elderly and Facebook

Even in nursing homes, Seniors try Facebook to visit and keep up with family and friends.

Growing numbers of elderly people are learning how to use Facebook so they can stay in touch with their family and old friends.

Classes that teach basics are popping up in many cities. Public libraries are a popular source of instruction.

After taking the course, older seniors might need a little assistance with it at first, but family members, caregivers and nursing home aids don't mind helping them get started.

Because many seniors don't send or receive text messages, the immediacy of Facebook is what attracts them to take a class and create an account.

At Fort Bend County libraries in Texas, public information officers say that classes are open to people of all ages, but most students are seniors.

A study reported in the journal, Computers in Human Behavior, shows that retirees who use the Internet regularly are 28 percent less likely to be depressed.

Older seniors may not be good typists, but they have plenty of time to create a message, one letter at a time. Some send very few messages but enjoy seeing the photos and news.

It's not for everyone. One computer-savvy great grandmother doesn't want to use it. Quoted in USA Today, she said she's just not interested in the daily comments by "all those people".

While many Facebook comments are trite, they still give a picture of what people are thinking and doing.

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