1 . Sometimes the people least likely to engage with Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Zoom are the people who can benefit from it the most.
The “silent generation”, or those born between 1928 and 1945, aren’t usually mentioned alongside the likes of Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. A study this year said that 45 percent of people over 65 use social media sites. Yet, for the majority of seniors, it is more about gathering information than sharing things about themselves.
For example, AARP has pointed out that Facebook’s largest function for older folks has been helping them keep in touch with their families, especially their grandchildren. But this doesn’t really reflect the digital connectivity (连接) many elders are experiencing.
BJ, a friend who just turned 80, does not own a computer, yet he’s one of the 4 out of 10 seniors with a smartphone, which never leaves his side. For him social media is purely social — no grandkids, just people from every stage of his eight decades. It has kept him youthful and connected. He has figured out how to make Facebook and Instagram work for him by asking his younger friends for help when he gets stuck.
Jesse Epstein, who has been teaching in a college for 44 years.He moved to Costa Rica with his wife and young child four years ago when he was 70. “I wouldn’t be able to live the life I now lead without the assistance of Zoom, Google Classroom, WhatsApp, and Microsoft Teams,” Epstein tells me on the phone, speaking from his home in Tamarindo. “My current students are all masters-level schoolteachers. I use Zoom to observe and evaluate how well they incorporate (融入) these technologies into their lessons live in the classroom. I was surprised by how much more attentive students seemed to be online than they typically were in the classroom receiving the same material.”
He keeps in touch in a very real way with friends he’s known for decades. “Networking technologies have supported all my life choices and helped me and my family achieve a level of freedom and independence which I didn’t think was possible for someone in their mid-seventies,” he adds.
1. Why are the elderly called the “silent generation”?| A．They hardly share personal experiences online. |
| B．They are too shy to deliver a speech in public. |
| C．They never keep in touch with others online. |
| D．They are unfortunately speech-impaired. |
| A．To express good attitudes towards life. |
| B．To explore possible ways to stay young. |
| C．To reflect the popularity of Facebook. |
| D．To show the real social connection. |
| A．Students are more likely to concentrate on the class. |
| B．All his life choices are backed by online technologies. |
| C．He can improve his teaching skills and methods. |
| D．His family members have freedom and independence. |
| A．Social Media Gives the Silent Generation a Voice |
| B．Social Apps Are Welcomed by People of All Ages |
| C．Networking Technologies Are a Double-edged Sword |
| D．The Silent Generation Are Eager for Connectivity |
