Technically speaking, Instagram is a social networking digital platform used for sharing photos and videos with people; but it is more than just that.
Instagram is a medium that helps you effectively express your views and opinions, make a difference in other people’s lives and engage you, and your audience, in subjects of shared interests.
Digital platforms like Instagram help beat ‘after retirement’ loneliness and boredom and can significantly alleviate QOL (Quality of Life). A study by the University of Exeter revealed that grandparents who use social media were much more confident of themselves with:
- a strong sense of self-worth
- improved cognitive capacities
- lesser dependency on others for social interactions
- diminished feelings of loneliness.
YOU can embrace the new world of social media too but the only impediment between you and your digital liberation is the fear of the unknown.
It’s easier than you think. Log on to the net and explore, there are a lot of tutorials about how you can use social media effectively.
If they can do it, you can too
Patsy, dynamite of an 85-year-old is blowing up the internet with her spirited and inspiring Instagram posts. She has 87K followers since the time she started two years ago. She also happens to be a breast cancer survivor – now inspiring others.
A 75-year-old south Korean grandfather, Chan Jae has also taken social media by storm. Originally meant for his grandsons who don’t live with him anymore; his drawings and stories soon became a rage with the masses. He has a whopping 347k followers.
Things to post on Instagram
- Your Instagram account has to be a reflection of your personality; which can be expressed through mediums like pictures, quotes, and short videos.
- Try and learn to use the right hashtags. Hashtags are a great way for your posts, photos and videos to be organized and categorized with other posts on the same kind of topics. It is a fact that a popular hashtag is seen more than an infrequently used one. #love #photooftheday #beautiful #happy are some of the topmost Instagram hashtags.
- More than a billion strong, the Instagram community can also prove lucrative for business promotion – retired people, who have embarked on new business journeys or who wish to exhibit their art, can reap colossal benefits from this platform.
Basic social media etiquette
While we extol the virtues of being on social media, it is imperative that we also follow the basic social media etiquettes for effortless social encounters
- Do not put unflattering pics of your grandchildren on Instagram. Ask them if you are in doubt.
- You don’t necessarily have to comment on every pic that they post. Too much isn’t always a good thing. Keep it relevant. This way, they will be comfortable with you being around.
- Don’t use your grandchild’s baby pic as your profile pic; they might feel embarrassed. Asking them first is always the best option. And, don’t feel dejected if they turn down your request.
- Don’t send friend requests to your grandchild’s friends without asking them. Even if a friend of theirs sends you a friend request, it could be a good idea to ask them before accepting or rejecting it.
With a happy, balanced approach, this passage to the new world may help you discover not just a new way of life, but also yourself.
