Social Media: Why Your Residents Should Be On Twitter

Today’s world revolves around technology and it has become a major part of people’s lives. In recent years, social media has become a popular way to stay in contact with friends and loved ones, as well as a way to stay up-to-date on current events. Some seniors may think that they are too old for social media or that they may not be able to figure out how to use it, but this is simply not the case. It is a good idea for all senior living professionals to encourage seniors that they should be more active on social media because of the positive benefits it can have on them. Popular social media sites, such as Twitter, are very easy to use and are a great way to stay connected. Below is a guide to help seniors get started with Twitter and some reasons why your residents should have an account.

Tell your residents that Twitter is a social media site where people share thoughts and events in real-time, or as they happen. Twitter users make updates called tweets, which are small posts under 140 characters. Tweets can include other Twitter users by using the @ symbol before their username and can also include a #, which is known as the hashtag symbol, in order to link outside sources/links to their tweets and easily access posts that are trending (being viewed by a lot of people). People can easily see one another’s tweets by following one another on twitter.

Tell your residents that there are real, active, Twitter communities based on just about everything, and they can join them, such as their favorite TV show or book. Twitter can keep seniors busy in their free time and can keep them updated on current events in the news. Twitter also allows seniors to comment on the news, politics, social issues and anything at all, in real time. Encourage your residents to make a Twitter account because it doesn’t matter how old they are or where they live, their opinions matter and Twitter can help make their voices heard.

Creating a Twitter account is easy and can be done in as little as a few minutes. The following are some steps that your residents can take to create a Twitter account. The first step is to go to twitter.com. Then, click on sign up for Twitter, which is on the right side on the bottom. Complete basic information, then choose a username and password. After completing a field, click on create my account. After this, begin choosing who to follow. Twitter will give suggestions of people to follow. There is also an option on the left of the screen that new twitter users can use to find people that they may know.

If your senior living community has a Twitter page, then show them so that they can follow it and see what’s going on at your community. Ask your residents what their favorite things are, such as shows, movies, books, hobbies, etc. and suggest some pages that they can follow. If your resident is into politics or the news, then show them some news outlets that they can follow.