This post was most recently updated on March 26th, 2014
Recently I’ve been poking around statistics about how many bloggers come online each day. The tremendous amount of newcomers is absolutely amazing! Then I fine-tuned my search a bit in order to see how many baby boomers are coming into the blogosphere.
Without boring you with statistics, I can tell you one thing and that is, that is catching on like wildfire with the baby boomer demographic. I went further and Googled some baby boomer bloggers to see what they’re actually doing. I found that there are many who are doing a truly great job in cyber space.
Some Anecdotal Feedback
I decided to take this research a step further, and directly engaged some new baby boomer bloggers to see what their challenges are. Here is some of the feedback I personally received. Here are a few typical apprehensions I found, and my responses to them.
1. I’m too old. I cannot keep up with all the young people I see out there.
I explained that the Google results they are seeing when they poke around often point to blogging “gurus” who may be a lot younger, but they’ve usually been at the craft a lot longer too. The challenge is not be young, but to be dedicated, hard working and consistent in the effort.
2. I’m afraid to put my picture up.
Again, I explained that no matter what age you are, there are many successful bloggers who are camera shy. They don’t have the confidence to show themselves even in a gravatar, much less a header image or video.
Now lets face it… most of us are not satisfied with our pictures because we are our own worst critics. We see every flaw instead of what others see. The important thing to remember is that your readers are not nearly as concerned about your appearance as you are. And while physically appearing on your blog and social sites is a big bonus to your personal branding effort, it is not absolutely necessary.
3. I don’t know enough, or have enough savvy to blog.
Well, if you’ve been around for many decades, you have experienced so much in life and have grown and can see things differently than someone younger. That experience and wisdom is often more valuable to your readers than your technical skills, literary flair or blogging expertise.
4. I’m afraid that no one will want to be my friend on social sites because of my age.
There are so many young people that have grown up in cyber space and take it for granted, but I feel uncomfortable with it.
Here is where I step onto my soap box. I explain that there are many people their age who are blogging. Most are happy to socialize with others in their age group because they can relate to them on the same level.
Now those are just a few of the challenges I have heard. It’s okay to be apprehensive, but don’t use that as an excuse to avoid blogging.
I hope I’ve been able to inspire my baby boomer buddies to explore this whole new world.
Besides blogging about your knowledge, you can make so many friends that you normally wouldn’t by staying in your neighborhood. You will find there are many people in the blogging world that have the same morals and values you grew up with. This gives you an opportunity to connect with them.
Most importantly, if you are a blogger, you are a learner. You don’t only push out content, but go to other bloggers and learn from them. You will learn so much, it will blow your mind.
And speaking about your mind, use it or lose it. There have been so many studies indicating that in order to keep your mind sharp, you must engage regularly in mentally focused activities like crossword puzzles, board games and such.
Now, I’m no expert on this subject, but I can tell you from one baby boomer to another that since I’ve been blogging and learning so much every day, my mind only gets sharper.
What will happen to me in the next 20-30 years, I don’t know. But I do know one thing. Your mind is like a muscle. You must exercise it to keep it in optimal condition. What better way to do it than blogging?
What do YOU think?
Is blogging a good way for baby boomers to keep themselves engaged, and their minds sharp? Is it a good activity for overcoming loneliness because they may have lost a spouse or friend, or their children have flown the nest? Do baby boomers bring special knowledge and experiences to the table that otherwise would go unspoken?
I’d love to hear your comments below.
-Donna
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