OLLI Class Teaches Older Generation About Social Media

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Hershel Hartford

In today's world, technology is a major part of life that is nearly impossible to avoid. For older generations, online communication can be a new and foreign concept, making it difficult for some to understand. However, men and women 50 and older in Northwest Arkansas do not have to blindly navigate the confusing world of social networking alone.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Arkansas is offering a weekly social media class May 27 through June 17 at the Global Campus in Fayetteville.

Through this course, students will learn basic social networking knowledge, how to use different platforms of social media, and how to develop something for themselves.

"The class is about why we use it (social media) and why it does what it does," said instructor Hershel Hartford. "We look at the evolution of social media from early platforms all the way up to some of the most current. We look at some of the trends where young people tend to be early adopters of the platforms."

This course has the ability to blur the well-defined line that online communication has put between generations. While younger people are using Twitter and Facebook to talk to friends and family, older people tend to still call on the landline. Efficiency in the skill of social networking opens another channel for older generations to reach out to their children, grandchildren and other relatives across distances, Hartford said.

"One of the great positives of social networking is that it offers an opportunity to make our world a little smaller in terms of the ability to communicate," Hartford said.

This is the second time this class is being offered because the feedback for the first round was so positive. Since the conclusion of the original course, there has been a high demand for a follow-up class to perfect the art of online communication.

"I am developing a course that I'm proposing will be an advanced course that will carry on from the beginning level," said Hartford, who taught the class the first round, too. "I'm looking to build on this to focus maybe on more specific platforms."

The interactive class is very give and take. Each time the class meets, Hartford will present a topic and lecture on it, but it is up to the students to ask the questions they have about the information. The students work on their tablets or laptops and are encouraged to update their social media profiles and explore different platforms.

"There's a lot of information that I share, but a lot of times the topic of the day is driven by the needs of the class itself," Hartford said.

OLLI offers a number of classes throughout the year that focus on teaching older generations different skills or hobbies. The program provides high quality, affordable educational, cultural and engagement opportunities for mature adults, according to the OLLI website. Registration may be done online.