What social media platforms do you use? Are you on social media?

[AARPRachelA]

I'm curious about what social media platform(s) you are on and which is your preferred channel? I'm a millennial and can usually be found on Instagram, but I also enjoy TikTok. It's a lot of fun and highly entertaining. There are creators of all ages on the app, like this guy!

[ToniS570313]

Ms. Rachel, thank you for submitting this post.  I use some of the regular platforms like Facebook, texting(not sure if this qualifies), emails, I have a website too.  Most recently, since having to work remotely, I'm learning MSTeams, Zoom and WebEx.  I really would like to learn more about Instagram, Duo, face time and other platforms.  It would really be nice if AARP had a page or section devoted keeping us up-to-date with simple, easy to follow steps. There are so many things you can do with a phone these days.  Not that I'm wanting to do all that but it would be nice to know all that's available and how to use just in case.  This might be funny to some, but it took me a while to figure out what "text xxx to 2236" (example) meant.  It just wasn't making sense to me because the number wasn't a complete phone number.  Anyway, I finally figured it out...simple enough but not when you don't have a clue.

I created/started a blog and I never posted my blog but I think I'd like to try it again.  I can learn just about anything if the directions are accurate and simple.

I would like to know if there are any other seniors who are interested in learning more about social media and if so what platform? Maybe we can help each other learn.

[Najuma]

I don't use it, this is about as close as I will come to it.  I do appreciate social media for real time.  People can not say they didn't say it, they didn't do it, and I was thinking something else.  I realize everything can be changed, but not in real time.  Also, after watching what my grandchildren were doing on Facebook It was too much information for me.  We can do so much good with social media because information travels fast and can reached so many people. Appropriate and immediate information can change an outcome, lend a hand, bring change, and ease pain.  Social media brings so many people together, but we have not caught up with all the good it can you, and we allow those who want to cause harm gain strength to cause harm.

I spoke to my granddaughter about something she said and it can follow her for the rest of her life.  She replied "for real grandma".    

[PattyDiane]

I only use Facebook.  So many of my relatives live on the other side of the country and others don't like to talk on the phone, so it gives me a great way to stay in touch with them.  I've also found some old friends from high school and college through it.

[TomD857140]

AARP only.  All others are a waste of time.

[angeleyes64]

Just AARP    and FaceBook for me. 

[fffred]

I don't know whether what I use qualify as "platforms" or not, but I use a number of social media sites...which I define as those having some sort of interactive community forums. To me a "platform" is something that is all-encompassing, like Facebook...which tries to be the internet all on its own...they'd be entirely happy to have users remain there and never go out to the actual "internet". I suppose that in part that such platforms as Facebook is a regression to the earliest days of commercial electronic bulletin boards that were running before the internet itself permitted commercial sites, such old bulletin boards as Compuserve, AmericaOnLine (now the site AOL), etc.

So I have used the internet since around 1996, when I got my first dial-up modem. Gosh, those were awful! And the days before the "world wide web" and browsers. We had to use chat software (IRC), newsreaders for usenet, other programs for Archie - and Veronica (for some reason whenever I tried Archie I could only access a university in South Africa, weird). No web browsers back then.

But I met the woman who later became my wife on this early internet! On a usenet forum! That was not even for the purpose of such matchmaking! or socializing! It was a technical forum and we just clicked and went from there. We have been married for 20 years now.

So my experience with "social media" has been long standing, if perhaps not extensive...in the sense of using Facebook and now defunct sites such as Google+ and...gosh, now I can't recall the name of the old Microsoft platform.

So, what sites do I use, or used in the recent past?

They include:

LinkedIn - a networking site for professionals...or any working person. All related to working and jobs, all different businesses and industries. I maintained this while working. Now I have the same account but indicate I am retired, no longer associated with the software company. Apparently people don't read though as I continue to get contact requests from industry. I do maintain contact with some former co-workers, even 1 or 2 from many years ago (30+)

Eng-Tips - a site for all fields of engineering with discussion forums. I maintained an account under my real name (er, yes, Fred Smif is a pseudonym. oops) and had a reputation on there for ny work...presumably a good reputation. haha

Facebook - I have an account with a small number of "friends". I don't check in very often. I find it overwhelming with its broad array of uninteresting, unrelated chaff. I did use it last week or so to post a highly favorable review of a florist in another location I has just used. A number of my in-laws use Facebook heavily, I don't see how they have the timeto use it!

Google - well, there's no longer Google+ but even Google itself has some social aspects. So I participate to some extent in Google Maps...posting names of streets, etc, in oddball locations that I am familiar with, and a number of business reviews...including the florist mentioned above. But these are not very interactive.

YouTube - I love YouTube for watching/listening to music and some oddball things (live streaming street views of some cities I am familiar with) including my current passion, my daily dose of a video of Red Pandas from a Japanese zoo (I never realized just how CUTE these things are). I post comments on my favorite videos/music. But YouTube is not highly interactive

AARP forums - I am relatively active here. I try to read/post in a variety of forums.

Boglehead forum - an investment forum

MSN.com used to have a variety of forums, since closed for around 10 years, and I participated. Many have been moved to https://ymam.proboards.com/. I occasionally drop in.

city-data.com forums. A useful site for information on cities, etc, around the US (and elsewhere). Many forums on all different topics including those of interest to retirees.

And a number of other similar forums. So many!

er, I do maintain a nom de plume for each (except LinkedIn and Facebook). I actually maintain a spreadsheet of my login info for each (url, user name, password) to keep track of them all. Many people use such names so I don't feel particularly bad about it.

What do I get out of each forum? I look for information on topics of interest to me. I like to provide guidance to others (which was my work for those 20 years). And perhaps share my opinion and views.

Well, I guess I have rambled on more than long enough!

[fffred]

Just a follow up to note that I spend most of my internet time on actual news sites. A wide variety of newspapers, journals, magazines, and other media, trying to be informed about a variety of subjects.