How Seniors Celebrate National Social Media Day #alwayskeeplearning
Happy Social Media Day #markyourcalendar
A resident uses her iPad in the Cherry Blossom Lounge
It seems there really is a “day” for everything nowadays. When looking at a calendar, it’s cluttered with all kinds of celebrations—some honor desserts, like Chocolate Chip Cookie Day (May 15); our book club enjoys National Read a Book Day (September 6); and you can bet we at Crane’s Mill are gearing up for National Bocce Day (August 13).
So, when we looked at our calendar this morning, we weren’t surprised to see that today is a “day”…National Social Media Day, in fact. You might ask, what does National Social Media Day have to do with seniors, or a retirement community?
First off, if you’re reading this blog post, then you’re already participating in one form of social media! Our blog is a fun, effective way to get the word out about our community on an ongoing basis. It is read by people interested in senior living, our residents, their family members, and more. By reading the articles and sharing with your friends, you’re well on your way to becoming a social media mavin!
Second, have you watched the Crane’s Mill videos on our YouTube page? YouTube is another form of social media, focused on people and businesses sharing videos with one another. We utilize our YouTube page to show off our community’s unique visual character and have our residents and staff share their stories.
Also, Crane’s Mill, along with many other resources for seniors, has a Facebook page. You can visit ours by clicking here. On Facebook, we continue to reach out to a whole new set of people, those looking to keep up with Crane’s Mill, along with friends and businesses, on a one-stop, easy-to-navigate website.
Chances are, your children and grandchildren are avid Facebook users. What once was the domain of the youngsters has now crossed over to people of all ages, and the number of senior users continues to grow each day.
A resident accessing the internet in our library.
People are sharing everything these days. We recently had a resident whose granddaughter got married. She was able to travel and attend the wedding, but when she asked to see the pictures, it became clear that the best way to view the photos was on social media.
Rather than resign to waiting for a relative to print them out, this resourceful resident went online, started an account, and immediately started enjoying the lovely images from the big day!
The great thing about being at Crane’s Mill is that there are lots of resources to help our residents keep up-to-date on technology. For instance, one day each week, students from James Caldwell High School visit for “tech support,” which includes everything from helping residents with their computers and tablets to setting up cable boxes and DVD players!
Plus, for residents without computer access, our library is a wonderful amenity, with two all-in-one desktop computers so they can access email, surf the web, type up letters, and more!
Finally, back to the headline of this page: #alwayslearnnewthings. When people use the number sign, or hash sign, in front of a word or series of words it’s called a “hashtag.” A hashtag is a way of indexing a conversation and sharing information, commonly used in social media. For instance, if you are using Facebook or Twitter and are interested in finding a holiday recipe, you may want to search #thanksgivingdinner or #easterham. The results may show recipes from experts, photos, and tips from other social media users.
So, when you see your children or grandchildren today, wish them a Happy Social Media Day! Then tell them all about how you’re on the cutting edge, as usual. 🙂