In a recent report 'Social Networking for Seniors' in the New York Times, Carla Winn suggests that one-third of Americans age 75 and over live alone and are increasingly turning to online social networks like Facebook and My Space for their social contacts. The article quotes Joseph Couglin director of the AgeLab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, as saying, “One of the greatest challenges or losses that we face as older adults, frankly, is not about our health, but it’s actually about our social network deteriorating on us, because our friends get sick, our spouse passes away, friends pass away, or we move. The new future of old age is about staying in society, staying in the workplace and staying very connected. And technology is going to be a very big part of that, because the new reality is, increasingly, a virtual reality. It provides a way to make new connections, new friends and new senses of purpose.”
Posted by Mike Scally at 09:35
Labels: technology
Showing posts with label relationships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label relationships. Show all posts
Wednesday, 17 June 2009
Wednesday, 3 June 2009
Do you change your friends every 7 years?
In our book we talk a great deal about the centrality of relationships in our lives so it was with some interest that we discovered that sociologist Gerald Mollenhorst of Utrecht University claims that you lose about half your friends and replace them with new ones after about seven years.
He conducted a survey of 1,007 people ages 18 to 65, and then contacted them again seven years later. From the original group, 604 people were re-interviewed. The survey contained questions such as: Who do you talk with, regarding personal issues? Who helps you with DIY in your home? Who do you pop by to see? Where did you get to know that person? And where do you meet that person now?
The results showed that personal network sizes remained stable, but that many members of the network were new. About 30 percent of discussion partners and practical helpers had the same position in a typical subject's network seven years later. And only 48 percent were still part of the network. This finding goes against previous research which had showed that social network sizes are shrinking.
As we get older many people report that it is more difficult to make new friends. But this is probably because they lose their curiousity which could take them to new places, learn new things or tapping into new social networks. Social media can help here enormously. You are never too old to make new friends- preferably younger ones who will outlive you!
He conducted a survey of 1,007 people ages 18 to 65, and then contacted them again seven years later. From the original group, 604 people were re-interviewed. The survey contained questions such as: Who do you talk with, regarding personal issues? Who helps you with DIY in your home? Who do you pop by to see? Where did you get to know that person? And where do you meet that person now?
The results showed that personal network sizes remained stable, but that many members of the network were new. About 30 percent of discussion partners and practical helpers had the same position in a typical subject's network seven years later. And only 48 percent were still part of the network. This finding goes against previous research which had showed that social network sizes are shrinking.
As we get older many people report that it is more difficult to make new friends. But this is probably because they lose their curiousity which could take them to new places, learn new things or tapping into new social networks. Social media can help here enormously. You are never too old to make new friends- preferably younger ones who will outlive you!
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