Too Old to Facebook?

When I was finally talked into joining the masses and signed up for a Facebook account two years ago, I felt a little pathetic hopping aboard what seemed to be just the latest trend. Being that I wasn't a teeny-bopper, or high-schooler looking for the latest way to find out what party was going on where, who was going out with who, and which teacher was rumored to be getting a little too cozy to the football coach, I thought I was out of place and didn't really belong on some social media site. But, as it seemed that practically EVERYONE was logging on, I felt a little left out, and cracked under said peer pressure.

Of course, once signing up, I became so swept up in what bordered on an addiction. Constantly checking what the latest status was of my friends, looking at photo albums, and most interesting of all was simply finding people popping out of the woodwork from my past that I hadn't seen or heard from in years! (Some I'd completely forgotten about until I was alerted that so and so had requested me as a friend add!) From the paltry three or four friends I had to begin with, I watched the numbers grow (not without a little ego-boost to accompany it...these people all wanted to be my friend! Yes, pathetic as that my sound, it was a little rush.) Joining groups, seeing the latest profile pictures, and even the annoying 'pokes'...I was hooked.

It wasn't until rather recently that my friend informed me that her grandmother had written on her wall. I exclaimed, "Your grandmother is on Facebook!" I couldn't believe that the phenomena had bled not only into the Baby Boomers (I had been aware of the numerous parents and the over 40 and 50 set boasting accounts) but I could not picture my grandpa (who still hadn't figured out to set up his voice mailbox on his new cell phone) writing on any wall. My friend laughed and informed me that indeed, not only was her grandma on Facebook, but so were all of her friends. The image of a group of elderly women in floral printed shirts hunched over a desktop typing away with an afghan on their laps struck me as hilarious. Perhaps Facebooking parties would soon replace quilting bees. Would grandfathers pass up trips to the lake for fishing in lieu of trolling through their 'friend' lists and reminiscing on the 'good old days'?

The more I thought about it though, I realized that everyone wants to feel included, even those who lived through the Great Depression, fought in a World War, and even those pushing 100. Heck, with life expectancy now pushed beyond the century mark, the term geriatric may not apply until later in life than it had before. What was wrong with grandparents and the rest of their generation hitting up the Early Bird Special at the local diner, going home to update their Facebook and Twitter status, and then pass out in front of the 8 o'clock news?

Needless to say, I still could never imagine my own grandfather being able to figure out Facebook (he still couldn't understand why in my emails to him I could never seem to correctly spell the work 'you' and was perplexed by TTYL), but if one is willing and able, why not join in with the rest of the world and take your friendships online? If grandma and grandpa want to start their own groups, they should. (and there are such groups out there!) Yet, with that being said, it may lead one to think twice before tagging themselves in some pictures your friend posted on that crazy Friday night...you wouldn't want to give grandpops a heart attack!