Our Florida Seniors Have Seen a Lifetime of Social Changes
We’ve all had ringside seats to see the tech explosion of the past 20 years…can it be that the Y2K panic happened over 20 years ago already? Children born in this century have no idea how to use a rotary phone, get up and change the channel on the TV or perish the thought…spend a day away from social media like we did!
But what about those older than you and I? What about our Florida seniors, so many of whom live at home on their own, away from friends and family. For them, social media was sitting around the radio with friends and family. The meaning of ‘social’ itself has changes. Our phones serve as our companions more than other humans at times.
What life altering changes to the social fabric of our society have our seniors seen since the dawn of the internet and how has this affected them?
Can you imagine the changes that our elders have seen in their lifetimes? Watches you can talk to? If you ask someone born before 1970 their first response will be, “Dick Tracy had that years ago!” But did you know that Dick Tracy started out as a comic strip in the 1930’s and was based on the famous U.S. Federal Agent, Eliot Ness? Do you think the people reading it then…or listening to the radio program at night crowded around a device roughly the size of TV, would ever think they would see the day when 2-way radios surpassed common to become nearly extinct?
Computers, back in the golden days of the 40’s and 50’s were massive creations, taking up entire rooms. Now they are in your phone, on your tables and in your cars.
And with the growth of computers rose the explosion that is the Internet and online shopping. Gone are the days when a consumer would have to go from one store…or mall, to the other looking for their “necessities” and taking days/weeks to make a purchase. Now a person can press a button on a site, think of Amazon for one, and have exactly the item they want…the next day…if not sooner. Need a tie…click! Need some eyeliner…click! Need a 2-way radio watch…click!
Yes, the world got bigger and bigger…even as it has gotten smaller and smaller. People had anything and everything they wanted or needed, without walking out their door. Great, right? Right? Or is it?
The social aspect of leaving the house to go to the store is quickly diminishing. For the new generation, they don’t know what they missed out on. For my generation, it is a cool and new way of life. But what about the generations before us? What about the seniors, your grandmother and grandfather or your Mom and Dad perhaps?
Sure, they have the Internet and online shopping and virtual slot machines…but where are their friends…family…peers? Most likely, sitting in their houses, apartments, assisted living facilities and staring at the computer and yearning for social interaction!
Maybe it is time to worry less about the changes in your lifetime…and worry about the changes in theirs.
A home health aide or companion can serve as that important social interaction for your loved one.
Contact us to learn more about getting a companion for your senior loved one here in South Florida.