Just like "Youth Moms" and "Teen moms", "Empty Nest Moms" are all over Facebook. Parents of children age 18 and older are using the tool in a wide variety of ways. Yes, some are still spying on their teenage children off at school, yet others are using it simply because of the cool features. "Facebook captivates the Baby Boomers" says Kay Hoflander in her recent Examiner article . Why? They can find old friends, learn about what their friends and family members are up to, give into their competitive streak with games such as Scrabble and Trivia, and get excitement from watching their number of friends rise. According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, other parents are using it to promote their businesses, connect with colleagues, or because employers want a presence on the site.
In my personal experience, my mom and her friends that have joined just plain old get a kick out of Facebook. After I helped my mom set up an account she was thrilled to report how many "hits" (aka friend requests) she had from my friends and my brothers (even though she knew they that they thought it was hysterical that she had joined the site). She spent the rest of the day looking through our friends' wedding pictures, pictures of their children, and anything else she could find. Like many of us, she's addicted.
In his recent Time article, Lev Grossman provides the top ten reasons "Why Facebook is for Old Fogies". I highly suggest a read - not only is it hysterical, it actually puts a pretty compelling argument forward as to why Facebook is perhaps better designed for parents than kids!
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