Social networking sites clicking with older generation

~50-plus crowd keeps in touch with online communities

Throw away that pen and paper, the days of stationary are long gone. Replaced first by the cell phone, then by e-mail, now by an online social utility that will connect you with people from all over the world. In the single blink of an eye, the world is literally at your fingertips.

Online social networking, once seemed geared for teens and 20-somethings, has set its course in a new direction. Facebook and MySpace are seeing an increase of 40- and 50-year-olds joining the sites.

A CBS News report published earlier this year claimed that of the 215 million-plus active social networkers, about 1 million are older than 50. However, by the end of this year, that number could reach 20 million.

Mary Harriet Talbut, a 48-year-old professor of education at Southeast Missouri State University, has active profiles on Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn. Talbut is currently doing ethnographic research on online social networking. Though she primarily uses these sites for work, she occasionally finds herself surfing her son's Bebo page, a younger person's alternative to MySpace, just to check in and make sure nothing seems too out of the ordinary. She says Facebook is the easiest way to contact her students, sometimes quicker than using a cell phone.

In addition to the two most popular sites, Facebook and MySpace, networking Web pages aimed specifically at baby boomers and beyond are springing up all over the internet.

The social network, www.eons.com, is specifically targeted at people age 50 and up. The homepage reads, "Eons is for people 50+ but if you're 49, it's OK to sneak in!" While Eons may not be quite as popular as MySpace, it appears to have a loyal number of users for only being about a year old.

Users have a variety of topics to browse through including a health section that offers information on wellness and longevity as well as fitness tips. The site offers a life map, a feature allowing users to walk browsers through their lives from birth to present. There is even an obituary section that gives members the opportunity to create tributes to their lost loved ones.

While Missy Medlock, 39, is a number of years shy from Eons, she does have a profile on Facebook and Cafemom. The latter is a site designed for moms as a place to share experiences and advice about parenting, a slightly different example of online networking. Medlock also has a MySpace page that she logs onto more often.

"I love to sign in and just look at the pictures that are posted from a weekend at the lake or just from goofing off. It passes time," she said.

Medlock also says she wants to keep up with her younger children and keep track of what they are doing online. Not only can she see what her kids are doing, but what their friends are up to as well.

Becky Eskew, 55, and her husband just recently began using Facebook.

"Over the Fourth of July weekend, we had relatives come to visit who use it to keep in touch and share photos," she said.

For Eskew, one of the best parts of the site is that a family member can make a comment to another family member almost instantly without a lengthy conversation as well as send a private message.

Eskew likes that she can share pictures of what is going on her life with family and friends.

"We all have digital cameras and use them often," she said.

Her brother-in-law's family, with five teenagers, and her daughter's family all use Facebook so there is always a lot going on and many photos to share.

While it is a great way to keep in touch with loved ones, is there anything negative about Facebook?

"I really haven't found the annoying part yet ... perhaps it is annoying because it is habit forming. I find myself on the computer way too much, checking things out," Eskew said.

Ilene Davis is a writer for the Southeast Missourian special publications. Look for more articles in the August edition of TBY.