OLDER PEOPLE AND SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE
OLDER PEOPLE AND SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE

Author(s): Ivana Vidak
Subject(s): Gerontology, Social Informatics, ICT Information and Communications Technologies
Published by: Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Ekonomski fakultet u Osijeku
Keywords: communication; electronic communication; older people; social media;
Summary/Abstract: Communication is a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a standard system of symbols, signs, or behavior exchanging information; it can be verbal, nonverbal, or nowadays mainly in the electronic form. Electronic communication can be defined as the communication which uses electronic media to transmit the information or message using computers, e-mail, telephone, video calling, FAX machine, etc. This type of communication can be developed by sharing data like images, graphics, sound, pictures, maps, software, and many other things. E-communication has changed due to how the public members interact and communicate with each other for different purposes, such as personal or business. By using e-communication, it is straightforward to communicate with the world. This paper focuses on older people's social media usage and how it affects their lives, concerning the significant age difference between them and the new generations. For the paper, a research-based on a questionnaire for the third age population (65+) was conducted, divided into three subgroups: the young-old (65-74), the middle old (75-84), and the very old (85+), with questions defining their knowledge about social media, their advantages and possibilities, why they are using them, and how much they know about problematic issues related to social media usage that are happening on social media. The research aimed to make a profile of older people as users of social media.

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