10 Things Only Old People Do on Social Media

Social media thing takes some getting used to, especially for those who didn't grow up with it. When older folks have less experience with technology than their younger counterparts, they tend to say and do things online that are unintentionally funny. Here are 10 things that many boomers do on social media platforms.

AUTHOR: Chisom Umeh

Table of Contents

1. "Like"
2. L.O.L
3. Over-Commenting
4. Using the Wrong Emojis
5. Selfies
6. Posting Personal Details
7. Clicking Links From Unverified Sources
8. Triggered by Posts
9. Over-Sharing Bad Information
10. Sharing Large Files
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1. "Like"

Old people tend to comment “like” on a post instead of liking the actual post they're reacting to. It may be a picture their grandchild uploaded or a post their friends shared. But rather than use the "like" button as most users do, they go old school and type out the actual word.

2. L.O.L

Typing LOL — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

For regular social media users, LOL (Laugh Out Loud) is the most used abbreviation. But many older folks type LOL on nearly every post on social media. It's funny because so many think it stands for “lots of love.” They even go as far as commenting “LOL” on obituary notifications.

3. Over-Commenting

Old lady typing in mobile — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Some older people over-comment on a single post. It could be a cheeky reply or a more serious one but sometimes their comments appear twice or three times on a particular post. One moment they're in the background like they don't care about anything going on, and in the next, they're over-commenting on posts.

4. Using the Wrong Emojis

Old man using emoji — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Using inappropriate emojis is one of the most common things older citizens do on social media. They often mistake the laughing emoji for the crying one and use it in posts about a dead relative or a dead pet. They also use it when talking about violence or an injury that they sustained.

5. Selfies

Baby Boomers taking selfie — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Selfies are something many teens do to get attention from others, but people are never too old for selfies. Older people, however, tend to take them holding the camera close to their faces, exposing a lot of details on their faces.

6. Posting Personal Details

Grandmother with ipad — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Some posts should be confined to private Inboxes. This could be an important personal document that you want to send to a relative or a friend, an address, or something else. Older people tend to share their personal information on their walls for public view. Some meant to send their tax returns or Social Security numbers to a family member, but instead shared them on their wall and tagged the family member in it. Doing this makes them vulnerable to identity theft and other scams.

7. Clicking Links From Unverified Sources

Senior couples scammed — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Many boomers grew up in a more trusting era and don't understand the dangers of clicking random links. Doing this can open up their devices for criminals to see their personal information, or even use ransomware to take their computer hostage. Many people — not just boomers — can fall for these scams if they're not careful.

8. Triggered by Posts

Upset and angry old woman seeing social media — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Senior citizens can be very reactionary to posts they see online. These may include posts they deem offensive to themselves or the people they care about. They're apt to go as far as telling the original poster to take down these sorts of posts because they rub them the wrong way. It's worth mentioning this behavior spans generations. It's not confined to senior citizens.

9. Over-Sharing Bad Information

Old senior man using mobile — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Sometimes, boomers over-share information, including images, viral videos, and long jokes to their lists. Often, this information has been forwarded multiple times, changed along the way, and is not fact-checked, but these folks believe almost everything they read. Worse, they promptly share it with all their contacts.

10. Sharing Large Files

Old couples using mobile — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Older folks care and love the younger generation so they'll share almost everything they receive with them. They don't understand that some files could take up much of the receiver's storage or consume more data than usual. They just share the files.