Use scripted, small-group social media training workshops to foster older adults' social media engagement, and plan ongoing support to sustain use after training ends¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 1 claim (1 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q2 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

The article's intervention was a 4-week, scripted, classroom-format workshop (about 10 participants per group, 2 hours weekly, laptops provided, one-on-one research-assistant support) covering Facebook and Twitter accounts, privacy and security, etiquette, messaging, photo sharing, and information gathering. The authors conclude that "Workshops, such as the intervention employed here, are feasible mechanisms to foster social media engagement in an older population," but because participation was not sustained, they call for examining "whether ongoing support might be helpful in sustaining higher levels of social media use."

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Instructional and informational support to build self-efficacy and skill among novice users with low initial social media exposure

Constraints¶

• Increased social media participation was not sustained after the workshop concluded, so other mechanisms of support may be required for ongoing engagement

Target Learners¶

• Novice social media users aged 65 and older

Target Learning Goals¶

• Practical social media skills: account setup and use, privacy and online security, etiquette, messaging, photo sharing, status updates, and information gathering

Claims¶

• Social media use rose sharply during the workshop (d = .954) but significantly declined in the following three months (d = .553), though remaining above baseline at 4 months [+W]

Related Strategies¶

• Direct older new SNS users to senior-focused online communities offering social support and courses

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Kelly Quinn. (2018). Cognitive Effects of Social Media Use: A Case of Older Adults. Social Media + Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305118787203