Granny - the word conjures up images of a genteel, fragile creature peacefully knitting sweaters for her great-grandchildren while savoring chamomile tea. They seem to be detached from the world of chaos and social networking which plague us ordinary folk.
Or, are they?
My Granny, for her 77th birthday didn't ask for a cashmere shawl or even a diamond-encrusted watch. Grandmotherly-stuff didn't even figure in her wish list! Her heart was set on, wonder of wonders, acquiring the newest (and the most promising) member of the Nokia Family - The Lumia 800!
My folks were apprehensive of about how phone-savvy she is, but she couldn't stop gushing about the Windows operating platform (I though the only time Grandmas mentioned windows was when they wanted the curtains pulled!) and it's sleek design.
We eventually gave in, while at the same time being prepared for hour long phone tutorials with her. Surprisingly, she picked up the nuances of using the phone on her own and would only talk about it when she wanted to share a cool app download!
This was however, just an indication of things to come. She has managed to get a Facebook profile created for herself (by generously bribing my sibling of course!) and has jumped on to the social networking bandwagon head on!
This made me thinking of how the ubiquity of social networking has managed to appeal to an older audience as well. Though they may not care much about tweeting the details of their latest culinary delight or their favorite soap opera, it does provide them with a sense of being "connected." Wading through a mesh of status updates and tweets is a bit of a chore for them, so they stick to the basics - flipping through pictures of their near and dear ones and pressing the Like button a little too generously.
Though they cannot be accused of the miniscule attention spans of the current crop, social networking does give them a peek into the lives of their extended family, and a feeling of gaining access to this enigma called technology.
Though, it's a long time before your grandparents make you go kaput in a game of Texas hold'em poker, social networking has managed to get them hooked and knitting needles have been abandoned for the time being!
Oh, and did I tell you what's on my Granny's wish list for her 78th - Why an iPad, of course!
Or, are they?
My Granny, for her 77th birthday didn't ask for a cashmere shawl or even a diamond-encrusted watch. Grandmotherly-stuff didn't even figure in her wish list! Her heart was set on, wonder of wonders, acquiring the newest (and the most promising) member of the Nokia Family - The Lumia 800!
My folks were apprehensive of about how phone-savvy she is, but she couldn't stop gushing about the Windows operating platform (I though the only time Grandmas mentioned windows was when they wanted the curtains pulled!) and it's sleek design.
We eventually gave in, while at the same time being prepared for hour long phone tutorials with her. Surprisingly, she picked up the nuances of using the phone on her own and would only talk about it when she wanted to share a cool app download!
This was however, just an indication of things to come. She has managed to get a Facebook profile created for herself (by generously bribing my sibling of course!) and has jumped on to the social networking bandwagon head on!
This made me thinking of how the ubiquity of social networking has managed to appeal to an older audience as well. Though they may not care much about tweeting the details of their latest culinary delight or their favorite soap opera, it does provide them with a sense of being "connected." Wading through a mesh of status updates and tweets is a bit of a chore for them, so they stick to the basics - flipping through pictures of their near and dear ones and pressing the Like button a little too generously.
Though they cannot be accused of the miniscule attention spans of the current crop, social networking does give them a peek into the lives of their extended family, and a feeling of gaining access to this enigma called technology.
Though, it's a long time before your grandparents make you go kaput in a game of Texas hold'em poker, social networking has managed to get them hooked and knitting needles have been abandoned for the time being!
Oh, and did I tell you what's on my Granny's wish list for her 78th - Why an iPad, of course!
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