Grandparents build more online ties with grandkids

An increasing number of grandparents here and across the country have discovered the secret to staying in touch with their grandchildren: connect online.

A study released early this year by the AARP and Microsoft found that, “30 percent of grandparents and 29 percent of teens agree that connecting online has helped them ‘better understand’ the other.”

The online study of 2,126 people — “Connecting Generations” — found that 83 percent of those surveyed consider going online a “helpful” form of communication among family. In addition, the majority said the computer increases both quantity and quality of their communication with family members living far away.

Marlene Mehaffie, 57, of Peachtree City created a Facebook page less than a year ago after her daughter Katie joined the Navy.

“She doesn’t communicate with us very well but uses Facebook,” Mehaffie said. “I joined so I could know what’s going on with her.”

An incentive to keep up

While plugging in and staying connected is nothing new for kids, that a grandparent or parent for that matter may be on the other end of that virtual connection is.

In fact, according to a recent Pew Center study, 34 percent of Internet users age 65 and older use social networking sites such as Facebook, and 18 percent do so on a typical day. By comparison, email use continues to be a mainstay of online communications for seniors: 86 percent of Internet users age 65 and older use email, with 48 percent doing so on a typical day.

“Grandparents are and have always sought out ways to stay connected with their grandkids,” said Jody Holtzman, senior vice president of Thought Leadership at AARP. “The form that it takes has evolved with the evolution of the variety of ways enabled by technology.”

That evolution, Holtzman said, has gone something like this: phone, email and now texting.

In addition, he said, “it became a way for grandkids to play a role in teaching their grandparents about new tech-enabled means of communication.”

“Then Facebook, Skype, FaceTime and other video chat tools have come along,” Holtzman said. “What it illustrates is one, the power of the connection between the generations; and two, that older generations are interested in learning how to use new technologies when there is a clear value proposition.”

The fact is, people want their families to use social media more, he said, noting that nearly one-third of the people surveyed said they would like their family to communicate more through social networking sites. In addition, older family members should expect to feel some familial “peer pressure” coming from their younger relatives — especially their grandkids.

“But what our research also shows is that the grandparents are ready to do it, especially because it is something they can do directly with their grandchildren,” Holtzman said. “That is a powerful pull.”

Sharing everyday moments

Both Mehaffie and the Begleys say it was for them.

While it was her need to be in touch with daughter Katie that initially prompted her to join Facebook, Mehaffie said that the site has been invaluable for providing up-to-the-minute news on her daughters and three grandchildren, one of whom lives in Alaska.

When her youngest grandson Wyatt started to crawl, Mehaffie said daughter Ashley Schaber texted her a short video.

“It was so cute,” she said. “Recently I got to watch him eat lunch.”

The Begleys, who have eight grandchildren age 7 to 20, three of whom live in Charlotte, said they enjoy posting and looking at pictures of their friends and family.

Rose Begley said Facebook also comes in handy for staying in touch with her 11 siblings, who live in her native Ireland, and other extended family.

“It’s sort of like a hobby to me to figure it all out,” said Tom Begley, a 78-year-old retired salesman for the textile industry. “If I don’t know how it works, I certainly can find out. Our grandkids know more than we will ever know.”

In addition to Facebook, they also use text-messaging, Skype and online chats to stay in touch.

Of course, sometimes they discover things that don’t care to know.

For instance, Tom Begley said of his granddaughter Micah: “She even sends stuff at 1 a.m., which she shouldn’t be doing.”