Do you enjoy traveling? Would you love to find travel buddies? Then join our special closed Facebook group, The Ethel On-The-Go, today! We think you'll really enjoy it!
In the good old days, while on vacation, we older women would send postcards to friends and family and hope they arrived before we returned home. We made long-distance calls on Sundays to loved ones far away, when the rates were lower, instead of setting up a video call. We sought advice from the encyclopedia and co-workers and not social media. The other side of the world was a foreign place, and not a text away.
Technology and social media have made most parts of our world more accessible. And although there are negative aspects for youth glued to their screens, we can benefit greatly from logging on.
While online, we can connect with like-minded women, from travel groups to book clubs to mah-jongg circles. We can share photos of family outings. We can seek advice on YouTube for everything from how to fold a fitted sheet to the best way to rid a dog of a skunk scent. We can reconnect with besties from high school — or simply watch funny cat videos. There is something for everyone and many sites to choose from.
Sharing photos
Facebook and Instagram are terrific sites for this. They have user-friendly and family-oriented features. On both, you can create private accounts, so the entire world isn’t privy to your grandson’s first steps or photos of you prepping for a colonoscopy. For those of you with family members living in faraway time zones, this is a wonderful way to experience their major events ranging from first words to weddings and even funerals (which are now commonly set up for video calls).
Making friends with like-minded strangers
Everyone needs to find their tribe. As we get older, meeting people isn’t as easy as it used to be when we were carpooling our kids from soccer games to sleepovers. On Facebook and beyond, you can find groups for everything from “People Who Hate Mayonnaise” to “Spiritual Consciousness” to a “Singles Travel Group.” You name it, it’s there. And if not, you can start your own.
The Ethel Circle is a popular group for older women where members discuss their lives and receive validation from others. Within this circle of thousands, you can start your own Ethel local group. Many women in The Ethel Circle have made new friends for the first time in years. From various Facebook groups, I’ve received many wonderful suggestions on how to deal with an elderly parent. Engaging (safely) online makes you realize you are not alone.
The Ethel On-The-Go group is another closed Facebook group for older women who like to travel. You can find travel-related tips — AND find travel buddies.
Super apps for wellness and bargains you might want to try
Medisafe
Missing a dose of medication is possible even for those with the best memory. Medisafe is an app that tracks what you need to take and what you have already taken. A bonus is that this app also warns consumers of harmful drug interactions, and can also be used to keep a loved one you're caring for on schedule.
Shopsavvy
We all want to save money, anytime and everywhere. ShopSavvy gives a bounty of bargains that span thousands of retailers and offers you the chance to compare prices. ShopSavvy also provides a range of customer product reviews.
Hopper
On this app you can browse all prices related to travel, from flights to accommodations, and alerts you when prices drop seasonally. Hopper also gives you the benefit of Price Freeze to lock in the price if you are planning well in advance of your trip.
Hunch
This is your reminder to retain good posture — and take less strain off your back. When you are hunched over your phone or computer screen, this app developed by a chiropractor alerts you to raise your device and straighten up.
Magnifying Glass + Flashlight
So you forgot your glasses and you want to read on the beach or decipher the tiny print on a menu. This app that combines a magnifying glass and a flashlight allows you to auto-focus the text and zoom in and out. At the grocery store, this is also helpful for reading ingredients and sticker dates on products.
Reconnecting with old friends
In the past, there was no way to find an old boyfriend, college roommate or co-worker other than combing through the phone book. Social media makes it easy to find those who have influenced our lives. And you never know what may happen when reconnecting with an old flame or a bestie from kindergarten who may live in the next town. Those people we love and lost and find again are a great gift as we age — they house our whole histories.
Selling a product or service
Sales and marketing are not like they used to be. Today we have influencers and TikTokers. Much of this is as foreign as landing on an alien planet. But with some instruction, you can promote your book, beauty product or small business on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Threads.
Want to enhance your professional profile? Get on LinkedIn.
Living out a long-time dream
It’s never too late too late to fulfill that desire you’ve had since your youth. TikTok and Instagram offer ways to get your talents into the world by making “reels” or short-form video content. In my case, I always wanted to be a songwriter. On TikTok, I now appear in many of my granddaughter’s videos, dancing and singing.
While I’m not going to become famous for belting out a Queen song, many senior creators have become TikTok stars. By posting reels of us spry seniors in action we can live out dreams.
Entertainment
From funny cat videos to babies singing to families dancing, it’s easy to spend hours watching silly videos online, a respite from breaking news. That is, of course, until these seductive distractions make you forget the soup is burning as you realize you’ve been scrolling for the past two hours. But then, you can post your own funny video. One thing this world needs is more laughter.
What are you waiting for? We know from science that staying connected with friends and loved ones, and learning new things at every age can help boost longevity. Becoming a baby zoomer like me will sustain those important relationships and open up a whole lot of new adventures and opportunities.
At the age of 75, I know that social media has definitely changed my life. From my comfortable couch in Southern California, I share morning coffee with my sister who lives in Northern California, keep up with a nephew who lives in Thailand and have realized that it’s never too late to learn about new apps that can enhance my life in ways I never imagined.
What apps do you rely on? Are you also on Facebook? Let us know in the comments below.
Kaitlin Brito
Follow Article Topics: Lifestyle
