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Preparation
Today's grandparents are joining their grandchildren on social media, but the different generations' online habits couldn't be more different. In the UK the over-55s are joining Facebook in increasing numbers, meaning that they will soon be the site's second biggest user group, with 3.5 million users aged 55–64 and 2.9 million over-65s.
Sheila, aged 59, says, 'I joined to see what my grandchildren are doing, as my daughter posts videos and photos of them. It's a much better way to see what they're doing than waiting for letters and photos in the post. That's how we did it when I was a child, but I think I'm lucky I get to see so much more of their lives than my grandparents did.'
Ironically, Sheila's grandchildren are less likely to use Facebook themselves. Children under 17 in the UK are leaving the site – only 2.2 million users are under 17 – but they're not going far from their smartphones. Chloe, aged 15, even sleeps with her phone. 'It's my alarm clock so I have to,' she says. 'I look at it before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up.'
Unlike her grandmother's generation, Chloe's age group is spending so much time on their phones at home that they are missing out on spending time with their friends in real life. Sheila, on the other hand, has made contact with old friends from school she hasn't heard from in forty years. 'We use Facebook to arrange to meet all over the country,' she says. 'It's changed my social life completely.'
Teenagers might have their parents to thank for their smartphone and social media addiction as their parents were the early adopters of the smartphone. Peter, 38 and father of two teenagers, reports that he used to be on his phone or laptop constantly. 'I was always connected and I felt like I was always working,' he says. 'How could I tell my kids to get off their phones if I was always in front of a screen myself?' So, in the evenings and at weekends, he takes his SIM card out of his smartphone and puts it into an old-style mobile phone that can only make calls and send text messages. 'I'm not completely cut off from the world in case of emergencies, but the important thing is I'm setting a better example to my kids and spending more quality time with them.'
Is it only a matter of time until the generation above and below Peter catches up with the new trend for a less digital life?
I think it's my younger sister. She is addicted to her phone. She always check her phone before sleep at night and as soon as she wake up in the morning.
I think it's my friend and me. The difference is that I use it mainly for reading novels and I sometimes hate it and my friend uses it for fun and to watch videos
Actually, I am the person who spends most of my time on my smartphone and laptop in my family. This is because I have many online work and exercises, and i have many online friends...
All my family are almost phone addicts. My husband uses phone to study English, talk to his friends via wechat and read some news or articles. I use phone to communicate with friends also, use some App for shopping or cooking guidance, enjoy some beautiful short videos. My son always uses phone to read news or books. And my daughter likes to watch short videos and talks to her friends on some social media. I think the phones bring much benifits to us but also causes problems like less face to face talk, less physical activities and worse eyesights.
Who uses their phone the most among your family or friends?
In my family, they don’t use the phone all the time, except for my teenage nephew, who uses it all the time. My friends use it a lot, either to check social media or to do homework.
In my opinion I think the teenagers like me and my brother use smart phone all the time , but when my parents bought smart phones too they became addiction on social media all the time
Who uses their phone the most among your family or friends?
In my group of friends, it's definitely Lissette who uses her phone the most. She's always up to date with the latest social media trends and can never resist checking her notifications.
Honestly I think I use the smartphone more than anyone else between my family and friends. I’m really addicted. I don’t use the smarthone for social media but especially for news (but also not as important as sports or other), to move (information on transport), for weather forecasts and now also to learn English!