Tweet Some Crow

Dear Micah,

It seems like everybody that I know is texting, and Facebooking, and Twittering and I am the only one who isn't. All of my friends do it all the time. It all sounds ridiculous to me, and I keep getting left out of things because they are all sending messages to each other. We are all women in our fifties and sixties, we aren't kids, so I don't know why they are so into this stuff. I thought I'd made great strides when I started surfing the web and getting my news on-line instead of from a newspaper. I thought that was pretty good for a grandma, but then it all changed on me and there are newer things that make me outdated again. Should I get on board, or stick to my guns and not give in to all this stuff that I really think is silly anyway?

Old Fashioned Debra

Dear Debra,

I am going to make an assumption based on the tone of your question. It sounds to me like the real issue here is that you secretly want to be Facebooking and Tweeting but you have probably made so many vocal declarations of how silly you think it all is that you can't start doing it now without looking like a fool. You don't really think you're too old to learn how to use these communication tools because you have friends your own age that have managed. Age isn't the issue. I am younger than you by a couple of decades, yet I share your stunted technological development. In fact, I just learned to text this very month. For years I had an outdated cell phone that was difficult to use to text; But now that my new phone has a keyboard, I am texting all the time! And like you, I used to make fun of the "texters". I thought they were ridiculous too. I've now had to eat those words to some degree. Don't get me wrong, I still prefer to be called than texted. I also still think it's silly to communicate solely by texting; Although, I must admit that sometimes all I really need to say is, "Buy some milk on the way home" or "The movie starts at 7:15", or "Get some shovels and get to the house quick...I've done it again!" and those things don't necessarily warrant a whole phone call. So I am beginning to love text messaging, and I love Facebook too. Facebook is a wonderful way to connect with people you care about, but don't feel like really talking to. For example, there might be an old friend you haven't seen in years that you have thought about from time to time and wondered whatever happened to them. Through Facebook you can reconnect with them without having to commit to actually inviting them into your life. Then if you find that you both seem to connect again, you can make plans to see each other.

For so long we as a society have complained that we are becoming more removed from one another. We don't know our neighbors and we don't stay in touch with friends. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and the like have cleared the way for us to catch up with people we have lost touch with or to send a quick "Hello, I am thinking of you" without having to say anything more than that. Grandmas, like yourself, can have instant access to pictures of your grandchildren, touch base with a distant relative, or get the news about your next club meeting. So eat some crow, sign up for it all, and be in on the fun with your friends.

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