Before he retired, my father was a banker for more than ten years. But he devoted a lot of his spare time writing for a national broadsheet and a few magazines (he still continues to do so online). When he finally joined Facebook two weeks ago, it became easier to explain my work in this “new media” industry.
I guess I’m lucky. I don’t find the need to submit cringing stories to My Parents Joined Facebook — not that I have anything to hide from my dad, but I’m glad that he gets it, as a former journalist who found the need to catch up with the times. There aren’t too many people in their 60′s who bend over that way. For him, converting his column to an online medium allowed him the luxury of not having to go through an editor — he found the idea of not having a deadline attractive, and being able to get instant feedback almost immediately more enthralling. To him, it isn’t about “print being dead” — it’s about forcing the traditional industry to learn new tricks. You can only be senile up to some point.
How did you explain blogs, YouTube, Twitter and all that to your folks? More importantly, have they taken the plunge as well? Believe it or not, the main reason why my father joined Facebook was PEER PRESSURE from his old friends from high school and college who are now happily retired in their 60′s, and perhaps have nothing better to do than play Pet Society.
Happy weekend, blogosphere!
Want an avatar? Get a gravatar! • You can link to this comment
My father don’t join facebook but at least he is using MSN Messenger to communicate with his children around the world.
Want an avatar? Get a gravatar! • You can link to this comment
Conversation a few years back:
Me: “… my blog – oh wait. You know what a blog is, right?”
My mother: “Yes, somewhere you put things online that it would have been better if you’d kept to yourself.”
Bless her. :-D
Want an avatar? Get a gravatar! • You can link to this comment
Weirdly, I never had to explain it to my 82-year-old father. I think being a physician faced with the constant change of technology, his being a bit of a gadget geek himself, and the fact that we have tons of family around the world with whom he’s very close to has really helped. He chats more than I do, and he discovered Multiply.com all on his own, which made explaining facebook incredibly easy for me when it came to it.
Actually, I think he’s better using at social networking sites than I am. (He’d join facebook, but all that chatting/webcamming on Y!Messenger and using Multiply already takes up too much of his online time, lol.) Hmn.
Want an avatar? Get a gravatar! • You can link to this comment
My mother runs her own small business and has been interacting with her customers via the web and email for years, but she just got herself a Twitter account (somewhat to my surprise).
She’s still a little unsure what she should be doing with said account, so I’ve tried explaining to her that it’s not really any different than the newsletters she’s been sending to her customers, just though a different (and shorter) medium.
Want an avatar? Get a gravatar! • You can link to this comment
I have had no luck at all trying to explain the Metagovernment to anyone over 60.
Want an avatar? Get a gravatar! • You can link to this comment
Hey, I’m sorry for the offtopic question but would you maybe tell me where to find the theme you are using? I would like to use the same template or perhaps a very similar one. Can you tell me where you got it from?
Want an avatar? Get a gravatar! • You can link to this comment
You should participate in a contest for among the best blogs on the web. I?l recommend this site!
Want an avatar? Get a gravatar! • You can link to this comment
You completed various good points there. I did a search on the topic and found the majority of folks will consent with your blog.
Want an avatar? Get a gravatar! • You can link to this comment
Hi webmaster, commenters and everyone else !!! The blog site was absolutely fantastic! Tons of wonderful details and inspiration, both of which we all need!b Preserve ‘em coming… you all do these a excellent career at such Concepts… can’t tell you how considerably I, for one appreciate all you do!