Mashable - The Social Media Guide - Latest Comments in Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Tin — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:18:26 -0000

Age 57. I've been an active (addict) on FB for the better part of a year. At least until today when my account was inexplicably disabled. I think this aspect of FB is a type of rudeness older users might not tolerate. I don't believe I broke any of their vague rules but since they won't tell me or even respond to my e-mail asking for clarification I can play the waiting game to see if somebody deems me worthy of re-entry. If not, I think it's time I seek other venues to connect with my friends.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Mind the Gap — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:09:27 -0000

Did you see this rant. Quite a juvenile rant for an old fart. http://angriestgeneration.w...

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

David — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:58:27 -0000

Dear Josh,
You are an editor and yet you don't know when to use fewer rather than less?

"In April and May there were actually 650,000 less users"

It is *fewer* users who spend *less* time with facebook.

All editors should keep Strunk and White on their desk or in ebook form (Kindle or for your laptop). It is also fun to read.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

wonkette — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:03:36 -0000

I think that the young people and some older folks are moving to Twitter.
But the problem with Twitter is that I can't search for old friends or classmates.
But it could be that older folks don't find computers compelling; my parents are used to TV; they want instant on and things fed to them. They don't want to search for anything nor initiate any apps. TV is passive and that is what my parent's generation likes.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Kevin Mannion — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:07:24 -0000

Interesting demographics, but almost certainly a blip. The world population is getting older so it stands to reason that over time the average age of social media users will rise. Oh, and why did you post a pic of someone who is clearly much older than the 'older' demographic to which you're referring? People over 50 really don't like to be portrayed as 90, unless they happen to be 100.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Jane Doe — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:07:49 -0000

The stock photo you have chosen to accompany this piece absolutely dreadful!

Baby Boomers turn 46 to 63 in 2009.

We are not 80-plus, like the fellow in your photo.

We are 1/3 of the US population.

We are in our prime productive and earning years - and will be for some time.

And we were the generation that first largely adopted computer technology.

Attempts to push us off center stage in US politics or the US economy are going to fail miserably - especially if they are based on propaganda.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Joe Fortenberry — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:50:25 -0000

To all the newbies. Remember if it were not for the technology that was developed by the Baby-Boomers "who don't seem to know how to use the computers or internet that they invented" You would not have a Facebook.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Joe Fortenberry — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:40:18 -0000

I am 55 and use Facebook everyday, however, there is too much chewing gum for the eyes and it becomes very annoying. I am speaking about apps. It is like the Chinese proverb--To talk much and arrive nowhere is the same as climbing a tree to catch a fish. What made Facebook successful was that it wasn't like other social networks that did this mindless stuff but was real and truthful networking among friends and family. Alas, I am afraid you'll have another MySpace in no time appealing only to the unenlightened generations.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Stephen 4D Barnes — Fri, 29 May 2009 22:27:53 -0000

I'm going on 47 and pretty tech savvy. Face book for me has become too much of a kids playground and I rarely engage in the antics it avails. It has real use for putting all in one place my none business contacts which I hold of value but not much more. Its like Linked-In. A neat place to keep business contacts worth having all in one place but I'd never use it to try to be introduced to others that my contacts might know. This is a key failing of all the social media sites. They try to promote behavior that is not natural except for the truly extroverted personality, the very young (or young at heart) and those who find it hard to communicate face to face.It's not surprising the over 55's are tuning out. Usability might play a part but my sense is it is increasingly becoming irrelevant.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Norma Fares — Fri, 29 May 2009 09:43:35 -0000

Hope young and younger people would help older ones i.e. old people in particular to get in to the new world of new media. It's maybe the best opportunity for them ever to connect and or re-connect with their old friends and maybe dispersed families round the planet before they go. It's not easy. But it's not impossible. The way i.e. beautifully simplified we present or speak about it makes all the difference! Hope old peoples will have the chance --with the help of youth-- to make them taste the blessed feeling to re-connect with the people they love and have lost on the planet over years and years...
Beautiful article. Thank you so much!

Norma Fares
Beirut, Lebanon

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Cesar Abueg — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:27:53 -0000

HHHmmm....not surprised about this. With the new design and layout, it can be confusing for those older folks, they tend to see things plainly. New design requires interactivity that makes the use of it efficient, that is why I like it, I get so much out of it, at a short amount of time. But visually it can be confusing, if your not the type that is afraid to click on things, which this demographic is, this may be intimidating.

So how do we fix this? Easy....lets spend some time with our Elders and give them the honor they deserve by teaching them how to use Facebook, so they can stay connected to their loved ones.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Jacki — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:05:52 -0000

I will be 55 in October. I Love Facebook and twitter BUT... I do not check in after work, so the ones that don't work anymore probably have better things to do when the weather is nice.
At work they are minimized so I check pretty regular. Not so much when I get home ... to much to do ... I do not use my phone either ... Thats a BIG difference in why the older generation isnt on as much ... My 2 cents ... J

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

joleta — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:17:10 -0000

Nisha, what an ageist comment. We "older users" (I'm 60) aren't incapable of figuring out Facebook (or at least, no more so than anyone else). I may not post an update every time I blink, but I know how to do that. I can do wall-to-wall messaging, use applications, turn off annoying quiz status updates, and even use the Chat function. Maybe baby boomers just have richer lives outside of Facebook. :)

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

al — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:15:57 -0000

Oy, such arrogance. There are no more people over 55 who don't know how to use Facebook than there are people under 55 who don't know how to use it either. The over 55's are just smarter about dumping personal information onto a website that has no compunction (oh yeah? look it up stupid) about keeping and reusing or selling all the nice data and pictures you put out there for them. They came, they saw, they bailed.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

jimbolandjots — Thu, 28 May 2009 11:53:23 -0000

I rarely visit Facebook since my other social web apps and sites post to it. Bottom line for me is that Facebook has an uninteresting interface, too many ads, and seems oddly limited.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Pam Barry — Thu, 28 May 2009 10:23:00 -0000

Shame on you Josh! Why didn't you send your mom an invite to connect instead of waiting for her?

Best use of FB for boomers is staying in touch with their nephews, nieces, grandkids etc. Huge motivation for most but they need help getting started.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Nisha — Thu, 28 May 2009 08:36:02 -0000

I would just presume that Facebook is too complicated to use (what is a poke, app anyway?) for older users. Orkut has a low bandwidth version that is without fringes. Maybe FB could also do a similar low-fringes version for the not so techie older users..

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Chuck — Thu, 28 May 2009 08:06:59 -0000

Disappointed with Facebook.

I am in the 35 - 44 y.o. group and I gave up on Facebook last month. For me it was more of a disappointment from my expectations. Initially, I joined and made dozens of connections; family, friends and people I had worked with in the past. Then, I started getting grade school and high school classmates finding me and wanting to be "friends". This was intriguing at first, but after about 4 or 5 of those it became clear their only purpose was a sort of cyber spying. One exchange of "what are you up to these days" and that was it. I never heard from them again. It is understandable. Facebook provides you with a quick, easy, uncommitted mechanism to find out who is doing what. Do they still have their hair? Do they have a good job? Did they get married? Do they have kids? Is that what being “friends” is to people today?

In my experience, there was no increased communication with people I am friends with now and there was no enhanced re-connection with people from my past. The bulk of the activity was a handful of people in my "friends" list constantly updating everyone on their every activity. From my perspective this was equally as pointless as it was uninteresting.

I am not sure if my problem with this new culture of cyber connecting (Facebook, Twitter, etc...) is the lack of substance or the apparent counterfeit nature of their purpose. In this age of fast paced lives with too much to do and too little time, I just don't understand where all these millions of people have the time to continuously update the world on their often mundane hour to hour activities. Beyond that, I find it odd that they think anyone else has the time or interest to know about them.

Perhaps I have gotten "old" and if so, that’s ok with me, but my time is better spent with my kids and my wife or out on the front lawn actually talking to my neighbors making real connections.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Artruen — Thu, 28 May 2009 06:59:42 -0000

I am 52, have a FB page. Like most people in my age group, I am completely adept at using a computer. How about taking into account facebook pages are (1) BORING (2) dominated by the twenty somethings in your friends list on subjects that are inane and BORING? Thanks for stereotyping us older, dumber peeps....

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Technology Professiona — Thu, 28 May 2009 04:19:30 -0000

I also met someone in that same age brackets that was not active in using Facebook. I understand them. Facebook is not for everybody and those who are 55 years old and above are not internet savvy. I think the best solution for this is to help the family members how Facebook works. Using Facebook is fun if you are willing to learn and ready for the challenges in learning the whole system.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

ttmyt — Thu, 28 May 2009 01:37:39 -0000

I completely understand and I'm not surprised by this at the very least. Baby Boomers are at 75million these days and all of them had to adapt to and learn a computer after they have been on their careers for quite some time. If you look at all the research you will see that Baby Boomers still like to receive their information via radio, TV, and popular internet portals. Facebook is not that important to them as they are either in the job they have always been in or are retiring. They stay in contact via phone and face to face meetings.

In some ways we should take their daily lives as an example and realize we need more human contact and interaction. The web is very passive aggressive in many aspects and you really never get to know the 100-1000 people you could or do interact with on a daily/weekly basis!

Because of all these reasons we had a group of baby boomers test our site before we launched to simplify things... We are continually trying to simplify everyday!

webmaster; ttmyt.com

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Robin — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:51:18 -0000

Having helped many clients with the Facebook interface, it is hard for some outside of the 55 demo to differentiate between profiles, pages, groups, walls and yes...all those crazy apps. So I can only imagine if you have little experience with social platforms how hard it would be to figure it out as a social user.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

iko — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:37:25 -0000

I am 51. I was born at the peak of the baby boom. Not sure what the standard deviation is, but I think that someone who is 45 probably doesn't think of their self as a GenX'er.

My interpretation is that people in the 30 - 55 category are scrambling to keep their mortgage, while people in the 20 - 30 have more discretionary time.

Another interpretation that, at a $10B, that FB has the potential of being the next AOL.

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

chrisdorr — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:45:15 -0000

Perhaps they all switched to Twitter!

Re: Users Over 55 Quitting Facebook: The Baby Boom Times Over?

Edward Boches — Wed, 27 May 2009 21:27:25 -0000

We're all on twitter, where there's access to real content and dialog, not just a bunch of silly apps.