In a recent Pew Research Center study, the number of people over 65 using Facebook or other social media doubled in one year and increased 88 percent among people ages 50 to 64.
In a standing room only crowd of seniors at Honolulu Community College Wednesday, about half were Facebook users and a handful said they were on Twitter. But, all were there to learn more about social media.
"I don’t know how to use it effectively," said Facebook user, Kalena Kunde, 79.
"I’m hesitant to do more on it because I don’t know how," said Richard Yaginuma, 75, who is on Facebook, but said he rarely uses it.
Yaginuma is part of the rapidly growing number of seniors turning to social networking to stay in touch with family and friends.
Thanks to classes like this one hosted by the AARP, they're getting the schooling they need to stay up-to-date.
Intimidation of the technology is why most seniors stay away from social media networking.
AARP's social medial manager said most seniors don't recognize the benefits of social media
"They can connect with old friends from high school, they can follow their favorite sports team. They can follow any candidate, so they can keep up on current events," said AARP Social Media Manager, Patti Shea.
But the AARP Hawaii said as more information gets pushed online, it's more important than ever seniors stay connected.
"We want to make sure that our older residents or members are not disenfranchised because they don’t have access to the tools they need to keep informed," said AARP Hawaii’s Bruce Bottorff.
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