On Facebook: Reaching out, starting out, staying connected

I often utter, “if  you want to know what I am up to, check Facebook.”

Even my college-aged son actually asks me about some of the activities that are posted on my Wall.  I’m very much part of the explosive statistic for boomers that says community through social networking is the norm now, not the exception.  My online community evokes a range of emotions -- endless amusement, laughing out loud at some wall posts and deep compassion for friends who have dealt with loss and tough problems -- and draws from a range of demographics --  friends from several continents are an inter-generational mix from ages 14-85, so the style and suggestions they present are never dull.

Research firms like Pew say the rate of online use among age groups is 76 percent from the 46-55 category; 58 percent from the 65-73 age group and 30 percent among those over the age of 75. Currently there are 30 million Facebook users worldwide between the ages of 45-65. And the fastest growing segment are woman 55+.  I'm not alone in my wall posts, to say the least.

The boomer generation has always been device adapted/connected. In the 1960s, when I was a teen, two hours of telephone talk time was the norm especially if you were in the suburbs with no community within walking distance to hang out in. Local calls had no time caps except for parents demanding to make “real” calls.  If “love” real or imagined (Paul McCartney got lots of my air time) was added to that teen equation, three to four hour phone calls came easily. Boomers also found their way to early online bulletin boards for Compuseve in the 1980s. Heck, my sailing pals from all over the world involved with the America’s Cup (my fulltime profession once upon a time) knew that by wading into a discussion they could get in personal greetings without any long distance phone charges. And all for $9.95 a month.

And today what I can honestly say is that my brain -- from so much reading, interacting through several social networks and researching online for at least two to four hours a day -- is better than it was at 20. I don’t need to have NIH to know my neurons are dancing happily.

As we age, our habits are pretty well-defined, and maybe you think that your boundaries are plenty, “thank you very much”.  But maybe it's worth stepping outside that box. If you tell me that your only Internet connection is via the public library with free computers and broadband, well I applaud you saving the $50 I pay for Cox Cable every month. But I hope you will write to me and tell me what your reservations are, particularly about Facebook.  I have at least 20 friends on Facebook who only connect through the generosity of the Public Library. And if you are reading Patch, and even sometimes responding to articles, maybe you are ready to take the leap even though you might be worried that you wouldn’t know what to do or you will "mess up." You're not alone:  I have quite a few 30 to 45-year-old friends who are hooked into Missy-over -60 here to help them navigate.  Yes, I am determined to have you enter the great digital mall, for lack of a better word, this week. 

One way to use it? I took over 100 photos last weekend at the Gold Cup that are parked on my favorite photo“cloud." I had the first digital camera in 1996 with 1 megabyte and I could dazzle my son’s classmates on those fieldtrips like nobody else, but these days I use my iPhone with 5 megabytes. Even though I have a 14 megabyte camera with a great zoom, I  have a phone will capture all the time, no excuses, and let me share photos in an instant. Don't believe me? I picked these for your viewing for almost all are of the 50+ set…the ones who can afford the tents and champagne! And of those attending, I will take a stab that more than 10,000 pictures were posted on Facebook accounts of those who attended.

What is important to you in social connections? If it's keeping up to date on family and friends across the world, my guess is that giving Facebook a shot would be worth your time.