According to a recent story on MSNBC, more and more of the 65 or better population are joining social networks, especially MySpace and Facebook. Reason? They like seeing their grandchildren’s pictures; finding friends they haven’t seen in years and simply staying in touch.

I am on Facebook also. I found 2 former college friends and 2 former high school friends. Maybe the rest are dead. Maybe they just aren’t into Facebook. I don’t go to Facebook everyday but like the wall writing and pictures. Oprah had a show on Facebook and has her own page; I joined as a “fan”, no friends. Mark Consuelos was on and said he wanted more friends so I found him and sent him a message to join his friends. He never responded. I guess I wasn’t the type of friend he was looking for….who knows?

Since reading the story on MSNBC that a “few million “seniors are on Facebook, I have decided to go back today to search for more of my friends. Of course, I will wait till after work is over!

Seriously though, social networking is a great way for people who cannot get out to stay socially engaged. A new Swedish study shows that people who are socially active and not easily stressed may be less likely to develop dementia. We will be reporting on that study in the June issue of the Erickson Tribune.

 Here is the story from MSNBC: “Grandpa Added You as a Friend
Computer savvy seniors are not just getting online to read the daily news or send email to family and friends. They are also discovering social networking sites, like Facebook and MySpace, which their grandchildren and children are using to share pictures and interests. Facebook estimates that it has a few million users over the age of 65, while MySpace has approximately 6.7 million. Seniors see social networking as a way to check up on their grandkids and occupy their free time, including restless nights. Younger generations have accepted older family members being online, as it gives them a way to learn things they might not have otherwise known about them, like where or how their grandparents met, their stories about war or what their pastimes and passions are. Although there are some preservations about seniors seeing things online that might be offensive or surprising, they seem to be in general agreement: “At my age, nothing shocks me!” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29619075/  “