Seniors Can Soon Experience Their Oats
April 14, 2022
If TikTok is for Gen Z, Facebook is the digital home for about half of Gen X, Baby Boomers, and whatever members of the Silent and Greatest Generations have made their way online. (For their part, Millennials seem to be everywhere.) According to a recent Pew survey, almost 72 million Americans over 50 use Facebook and, for many, it is the only social media platform they use. Now, though, there is an alternative made just for the grey-haired set. Ars Technica reports, “AARP-Backed Social Network Looks to Lure Older Users from Facebook.” We learn:
“The nonprofit funded the creation of Senior Planet Community, a social media network that encourages users to join pre-existing groups around shared interests, including gardening, travel, fitness, food, and technology. In that way, it feels more like a pared-down version of Reddit or a small collection of forums. The social network was developed by an AARP affiliate, Older Adults Technology Services. … Besides its focus on the 50-plus set, Senior Planet Community stands apart from Facebook in that it’s not commercial. The site has no advertising or membership fees. Unless the cost to run the site grows substantially, that probably won’t present much of a problem. AARP isn’t saying how much it has put into Senior Planet Community, but the organization is famously well-capitalized, with $2.3 billion in net assets and $1.7 billion in revenue in 2020. At present, the site is bare-bones when compared with Facebook. There’s no mobile app yet, though OATS says it hopes to develop one. The site is mobile-friendly at least, and all the requisite features are there, including groups, photo sharing, @-mentions, notifications, and direct messaging.”
Writer Tim De Chant points out the platform has a list of “house rules” meant to keep discussions both courteous and truthful. A more civilized atmosphere may indeed entice elders, but we have yet to learn how the site will handle moderation. Senior Planet Community spent a just month in private beta before recently opening to seniors everywhere, inviting them to “age with attitude.” Exactly how much attitude will be tolerated remains to be seen.
Cynthia Murrell, April 14, 2022
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