Franklin D. Roosevelt stated that there was nothing to fear but fear itself. So goes the idea of Seniors being touted with the idea that using Social Media is something they should be afraid of. Hockey Puck! Not true.
Social media is nothing more than an avenue to communicate more widely with a broader audience. The key here is that YOU, Senior or otherwise, determine what it is that you want to share, how much, to whom, and where – the platform.
The internet ghost doesn’t just pop up and steal your information and record (post) it somewhere to reveal your darkest secrets. Sure, we all need to apply caution when exercising communication of any kind in public, but to be fearful is just not necessary. You are in control of your media distribution.
Take Facebook, Social Media, for instance. You determine to set up an account, add friends to your account to whom you give permission to communicate with you and so begins one avenue of creative, broader communication. What we need to realize first and foremost, is that we can place perimeters around people accessing our information, just by adjusting a few privacy settings on our accounts. First, each user should determine if you want your friends to see your post, say of a photo, video, resharing of a post you like of a video, photo or article.
RIGHT THERE AT THE BEGINNING, you determine what and who sees the information that interests you. Also, it’s important to determine if you want your friends’ friends to be able to see your information and especially see the contacts (friends) on your account. You are not required to share your friend’s name and photos to the rest of your contacts or allow them or their contacts (friends) see all of your contacts. It’s privacy invasion without meaning to be invasive. Facebook has default settings that are built into their program, yet, you can change and
manipulate the settings that fit best with your desires, not Facebook’s!
YouTube is another shared social media platform. If not familiar with this, it is simply an online stored database with videos, movies, musical events, training information – a general place to deposit and retrieve shared information. As a user, you can type in a search for something of interest, Example: 1954 Thunderbirds or Marilyn Monroe movies. And voila, you are given a visual list of options to choose from. It’s amazing! I’ve searched out videos of favorite songs or musical artists, and thoroughly enjoy previewing my options at my leisure. As a contributor to YouTube content, you are able to set up an account, and post your own original or shared videos under your account.
For example, I really enjoy listening to Josh Groban sing. So, I search out Josh Groban on the YouTube website search bar, and then select which video I want to view. It’s great. I have also found many songs with lyrics printed on the screen (like an overlay to the music itself). It is a lot of fun to sing along with an artist while the words to their songs are printed on the screen in perfect timing!
Yelp is another social media platform to use if you are so inclined. It is set up to be a review of a business, with additional information such as website links, hours of operation, etc. I find it useful when wanting to find a new restaurant, such as Italian. I search for “Italian Restaurants” in my surrounding area and receive a list of businesses with information about their menu, hours, and reviews. It’s a great way to determine in advance if you want to experience something different with a little fore knowledge to aid your decision.
Pinterest is an online program or platform that I have enjoyed as well. It can be utilized for personal use (private or public) as well as for business. My interest in Pinterest started when purchasing a new home and wanting to find decorating ideas. I set up an account, searched for a topic, such as French Country interiors, and found the most interesting and beautiful photos. From there, I set up new “boards” in which to “pin” or attach my saved favorite searches to it, making it available to preview at a later time. It’s like having an online bulletin board that you clip interesting photos and articles to refer to later. In my account, most of my board topics are listed as “public” so that I can share with others. I have created “private” boards, with myself as the only person to access the information, example: Future Vacations. What’s great about Pinterest is that you
can allow other people to “follow” you if your board is public, and you can
“follow” others as well. With this information, Pinterest sends you email with links to potential interesting posts specifically for you. Again, if you don’t want to be bothered, you merely change your notification status.
So … FEAR. We can fabricate many fears quite easily because we are unfamiliar with something and do not understand it. We can empower ourselves with a little research or talking to trusted friends, family or experts, and our FEARS can be alleviated. Seniors, do not let others predetermine your access to intelligent, useful shared information sites. You are in control – take it and enjoy!
For additional information, contact Jeannette LeHoullier, Senior Tutor and Virtual Assistant, DJ’s Virtual Management
www.djvirtualmanagement.com, (951) 458-9301.
