If you are over 65 it is likely that you don’t have a Facebook account, unless you have young grandchildren to show you how it all works. Many older Australians consider Facebook to be a waste of time because they are not interested in knowing what everyone had for breakfast, lunch and dinner, or whether their dog is sick.
However there is a recent paper recommending having a Facebook account as it may be of benefit in lengthening your life. The methods of the study are set out in the paper that was approved by three university and state review boards. Skeptics however will argue that Facebook itself was closely involved with the paper as a few of its authors had close relationships with Facebook. The study was based on 12 million social media profiles made available to researchers by Facebook plus records from the California Department of Health.
The University of California news release stated that the research confirms what scientists have known for a long time about the offline world – people who have stronger social networks live longer.
So you really have nothing to lose…your grandchildren may burst into hysterical laughter, but no doubt they will assist you to open your own account, invite some friends, and get into the social media whirl.
