AAHSA Future Age Jan/Feb10 - 35

American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging

Today more than ever the power of the Internet is its ability to connect like-minded people and provide an easy way to share information and resources. formnetworking sites, such as Facebook, Twitter should follow users a variety tools to do just Just as Social follows function, marketing and YouTube, offer content.” that. And these social networking sites are not only for kids.
— Leo Laporte, host of This Week in Technology

“Social media is best with people who were experts in something else first.

Social Networking

Get Connected

At AAHSA, we believe that harnessing the power of social media will help generate great conversations about the future of aging. That's why we've created communities on the following sites: Because it is a large network of people “The largest growing group of users is interface. For example, at AAHSA, I use

http://www.aahsa.org/connect.aspx/[1/6/2010 12:29:16 PM]

communicating, Twitter is a great place women in their 40s and 50s,” says Shute. Tweetdeck to manage company tweets. Facebook to see what’s popular beyond your com“This isn’t just for kids.” Shute points out It enables users to use multiple accounts, munity. Twitter has a search feature similar that while social networking may have and allows for more than one search at to Google that allows a user to search all started with teenagers, there is now huge a time. of Twitter for the latest trends. You might growth in the number of adults using these Twitter is also accessible by phone. also look into these other search platforms: toolsdesigned to giveand professionally. to make the world smartphone or PDA, see If you’re on a more Facebook is both personally people the power open and That tracks well with the overall trendand information, connect application store connected. Users can share photos if your phone has an with friends and colleagues, post status updates, and join apps store). Apple’s iPhone and • Trendistic provides a graphical interface of more people over 65 using the Web and (a.k.a. groups that reflect their interests or areas of expertise. AAHSA has a Profile Page and of trends and keywords. staying on the Web longer. Recent data from Google’s Android phones have a variety Group. We encourage you to join both. If you've never used Facebook • Monnitter uses keywords to track Nielsen’s found that in the last five years, of Twitter apps. If you’re on a Microsoft Twitter trends. seniors actively using the Internet increased Windows-based phone, you might try • Tweetmeme tracks most popular links by more than 55 percent, from 11.3 million PocketTwit. on Twitter. in 2004 to 17.5 million in 2009. • Hashtag.org shows most popular “The new future of old age is about stayWhat’s Next? hashtags being used on Twitter. ing in society, staying in the workplace and Try it. As an expert in aging services, YouTube staying very connected,” Joseph F. Coughlin, you have thoughts people will want to Who’s on Twitter? director of the AgeLab at the Massachusetts read. The great thing about Twitter is More and more AAHSA members and Institute of Technology, told The New York the cost: free. If you decide it’s not for businesses in the aging-services field. Times. “And technology is going to be a very you, fine. But I think you’ll figure out YouTube, which isthat, because the new reality is,site that allows userspeople are using this More and more older adults. big part of owned by Google, is a Web why millions of to upload and share videos. reality.great resource for tool. It’s easy. It’s informative. It’s fun. It's a It provides a individuals and Doug Fusella, president and COO of increasingly, a virtual organizations that don't have the bandwidth to store It’s new media for aging services. and stream videos New Lifestyles, which helps consumers way to make new connections, new friends on their own sites. Many AAHSA members already use YouTube to share find information about senior housing and aboutnew senses of purpose.” the world. Why not join d like more information, visit If you’them? Visit videos and their organizations with services, says his organization joined TwitAAHSA’s social networking page, or AAHSA's YouTube Channel. ter because it saw the numerous groups Where Is Twitter? e-mail me. that were potential users of its services and Twitter is global and there are a variety of wanted to engage and communicate with ways to access it, the simplest being Twitter. Listen to the full interview with Nancy them in their chosen medium. com. Here you can set up an account, sign Shute. Twitter Increasingly, that chosen medium is a in to read and send tweets, and search the social networking platform like Twitter. world of Twitter. According to Nancy Shute, a contributIn addition, there are products that Craig Collins-Young is a manager of ing editor at U.S. News and World Report, allow users to interface with Twitter via Internet content and social networking at there has been a noticeable shift in the use their desktop. Many of these products have AAHSA, and a contributor to the Future of of social networking. more robust features than the Twitter.com Aging blog.
futureAge | January/February 2010

AAHSA Future Age Jan/Feb10

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AAHSA Future Age Jan/Feb10