One day soon…even Boomers will feel good about the Internet!

Boomers are taking to social networking more and more every day. It’s not really surprising that the Baby Boomer generation has been reluctant to trust using the Internet as it evolved in the middle of their lifetimes. As most of the younger generations were born with computers and the Internet as common as the light switch, they have wondered why older generations have been so slow to adapt. The business sector as well has been turning their heads more and more to the net as they see the HUGE demographic of Baby Boomers logging on. Where the customers go…so business follows.

Forester Research is an independent technology and market research company that provides its clients with advice about technology’s impact on business and consumers. They have gathered data about how businesses should be looking into the Boomer generation’s progress in social networking on the Internet and putting a portion of their spending budget into marketing toward this aspect of the Boomers.

How to Reach Baby Boomers with Social Media

Hard Decisions Ahead.

As one of the 80 + million Baby Boomers, I know first hand that we all are facing times of some BIG decisions as to how we are going to prepare for the future. I myself am dealing with unemployment in the last few years before retirement, so there is “what to do about that”? I have my mother, who has made it through the struggles of life, staying physically fit for over 90 years, only to find her mind slip away to the point of needing 24 hour nursing care, so there’s “what to do about that”? This, of course, makes me hightly aware of the fact that I may face needing nursing home care in my lifetime, so there’s “what to do about that”?

Currently, my first major hurdle is keeping my home, with my wife throughout these hard economical times of job loss and retirement money decreasing. As many Boomers are doing, I am trying to deal with the job loss of what I was doing for over 22 years, by “reinventing myself”. I know that inactivity is the worst course of action in the latter years of our lives, so I am not looking to sit in my easy chair at home. I WANT to find a few types of work that involve my life long love of music and possibly some part time job and/or freelance writing through all the opportunities on the Internet. These are things that I can continue to do for many years yet. Along with a renewed perspective on “spending“, will afford a comfortable life style in my own home….hopefully!

Here is an article…

Home Health Care Technology Baby Boomers Require Action to Age in Place

with some great data about how Baby Boomers feel and fear about dealing with the future. Also contained in the article is a link to another GREAT site (Aging Home Health Care) with information and links to help out with preparing for a healthy future and with aging issues such as in home nursing care.

The key word to take away and remember is PREPARATION! We need to think, research, ask questions and find the facts to prepare ourselves to have a happy and healthy future for ourselves and our loved ones.

Just one more IMPORTANT thought…..remember to not let TODAY go by without enjoying it and appreciating it for we only get one chance at TODAY!

An Interesting Boomer Commentary…

I found this article interesting and wanted to post it because although it is a commentary, it has a lot of detail and an interesting viewpoint of history during much of the Baby Boomer’s lifetime. Even though it is mixed with a good bit of gloom and doom, it tries to point out the fact that IF history repeats itself in waves of similarities, the future will be very challenging, if not down right dismal. In any case, it is worth reading just to make us aware of the possibilities and from there, you can make your own judgements as to what may happen and how we can possibly prevent a bit of gloom and doom.

NOTE – The article is written by James Quinn, who writes for The Cutting Edge News and is a senior director of strategic planning for a major university. This article reflects the personal views of James Quinn. It does not necessarily represent the views of his employer, and is not sponsored or endorsed by them.

Baby Boomers: The Crisis has Arrived

Let’s do something different- yeah, that’s what I’m talkin’ about!

I found this article from Floridaytoday.com. It talks about NBC doing a feature on Baby Boomers in business. This specific article is about one Boomer who worked in Real Estate for years and seeing the recline coming, started re-inventing herself. This is something that many Boomers, including myself, are looking into as a way to survive the current crisis and carry us into our retirement years, but doing something that we love!

Boomer’s success in the bag

Waves of Boomers are stressing the unemployment lines.

Not only is the Baby Boomer generation being hit hard with unemployment, but the social security offices are also losing Boomers who are retiring, making the offices feeling the burden of busy phone lines and long lines of people waiting at the offices.

Read this article from US News.

Long Lines for Social Security Recipients

Where are you hangin’ out?

Baby Boomers are going more and more to social networking sites on the net. This article points out where they (we) are going. Check it out to see how you can add your input to current surveys. This article is from Examiner.com, a great source of Baby Boomer information.

Where are Baby Boomers hanging out?

Boomers struggle with unemployment…

As Boomers are the largest generation in the U.S., they are being hit the hardest with the economic crisis and unemployment! The fact is that as so many Boomers are being laid off in their 50’s, when they were starting to think about approaching retirement years, they are facing the possibility that they won’t be able to get new jobs. Therefore, they are thinking about reinventing themselves to get back into the workforce or wondering if they will ever be able to get back to work. By the time jobs start coming back, whenever that may be, will employers want Baby Boomers ever again? This may be the largest crisis that the Baby Boomer generation will have to deal with.

Check this article about how Boomers are concerned about the future.

Unemployment hits Baby Boomers hard

Boomers win at the Grammys!

Oh yeah! Boomers are still a strong force in the music scene. Maybe a bit more subdued, but still here. As Robert Plant said… at one time, to win a Grammy would be a sellout, but we all mellow with age…like fine wine!

The Grammy Awards: Baby Boomer-palooza

Boomers getting onboard

Many of us may take a while, but as social networking becomes more pronounced in mainstream media, we finally get it. What better way to find others with common interests than through social networking. I am not one to be extremely outgoing when it comes to making new friends in the non-internet world. I am usually very cautious and have to feel people out first before I strike up friendships. Think about this…would you walk up to someone in a restaurant or a bar and just start up a conversation? Perhaps in certain circumstances, yes, but usually not. Social networking sites do give the options of approving new friends, but usually they are recommended by or friends of someone you know, but you can start communicating based on a known common interest.

It has been only 5 years since the beginning of Facebook and the growth of membership has grown to 150 million members and a growing Baby Boomer presence.

As Facebook Turns Five, Baby Boomers Join

Parents & their children looking for work?

Yes, that’s what is going on right now for Baby Boomers and their children approaching graduation from college soon. With today’s economic crisis not improving anytime soon, the whole family may be looking for work together.

Boomer parents’ advice to college seniors