SOCIAL NETWORKING DURING LATE ADULTHOOD

Older people text, tweet, and stream less than younger ones. Compared with emerging adults, older adults own fewer computers, are less connected to the Internet, and avoid social networking. Yet elders who have strong social networks and engage in cognitively stimulating activities tend to live longer, healthier lives. With the knowledge that you have about development and social media, please answer the questions below and complete the following tasks:

What are the major reasons for the digital gap between the older and younger generations? 

Is the digital gap in social networking likely to increase or decrease in the future as current technologically savvy generations become “the older generation”?

Using the model of primary, secondary, and tertiary care, what steps could individuals and communities take to reduce the size of the digital gap?

Using Facebook or Twitter as a model, how would you modify popular social networking sites to be “friendlier” to older adults? Can you observe any ageism that occurs on these sites?

Create your very own social media site for people who are considered to be in the late adulthood portion of life. Include the following components: Name of your site Purpose of your site Motto of your site How you would explain (in step-by-step detail) the way that your site works? What are the benefits of your site for this group vs. the other popular sites?  What tech support is available for those who experience issues with operating your site? 

TRAIT THEORY AND PERSONALITY

The Internet contains a wealth of information about the various approaches to studying personality, including trait theory. For this activity, please visit the Keirsey Temperament Website ( http://keirsey.com ), complete the Keirsey Character Sorter and Keirsey Temperament Sorter II and follow up by answering the questions from Handout 3 (attached). 

HANDOUT 3 Developmental.docx

HANDOUT 3 

Internet Activity: Trait Theory and Personality 

Trait theory is one of the most popular approaches to studying personality. Researchers who work from this perspective search for identifiable, enduring patterns of behavior and thought processes that seem to apply to all people. To learn more about trait theory firsthand, visit the Keirsey Temperament website (http://keirsey.com) and complete the Keirsey Character Sorter and the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II. Then complete the following questions: 

1. How does the creator of this website define temperament? 

2. What determines temperament? 

3. How stable is temperament over the life span? 

4. What are four basic temperaments? Briefly describe each type and give an example of each from the world of science, politics, or the arts. 

5. Do you fit one of these patterns? Which one? 

6. What role does temperament play in choosing a mate? What temperaments attract each other? 

7. How valid do you believe these online scales to be as measures of personality?