Critical, yet in: More seniors are finding their way into social media, even if they perceive this as a channel for boasting and superficiality. Illustration: SINTEF.

The elderly thinks social media is superficial

A SINTEF study suggests that the older generation takes an active choice regarding whether to be active in social media or not.

Many of those asked in the survey perceive Facebook as a superficial gossip channel. “They do not see a positive culture of sharing, but rather a egokultur, where individuals are broadcasting content about themselves,” writes Forskning.no, who first covered the case.

Through in-depth interviews, researchers found out why many elderly chose not  to use social medias. Some are concerned about privacy and security of information. Others think e-mail, telephone and other means of communication is sufficient. Furthermore some fear that social media simply destroys communication between people. Nevertheless,  a growing number of elderly people are using social media, and Facebook dominates. However, many use social media to follow grandchildren and relatives and to chat.