The explosion of social media signals a crucial message for olde
r Americans: Get on board
Our Washington, D.C. neighborhood makes us extra sensitive to high-speed communications, given that Samuel F.B. Morse, inventor of the telegraph, operated a block away from AARP headquarters in the old U.S. Post Office building.
That was in 1845, shortly after he telegraphed his historic message, "What hath God wrought," from the U.S. Capitol to Baltimore.
As we move deeper into the new age of surround-sound media, the 50-plus population must learn to make wise use of the tools available. — Ocean/Corbis
Wouldn't Morse be astounded at today's communications technology as it's marched from dots and dashes to scratchy phone messages towireless and Wi-Fi; from Univac to PCs, to laptops, tosmartphones and tablets; to Twitter, Facebook and community websites like Reddit?
Well into the 21st Century, the explosion of social media has an important message for older Americans: Get on board. But a stubborn digital divide persists, separating young and old, although we occasionally bridge it when we communicate with kids and grandkids.
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