WASHINGTON– Richard Dangel lives a pretty full life, and social media is not a part of it. He is 80 years old and lives in Potomac, Maryland and professional musician. After retiring in 1996, he began working as a musician. Seniors are trending toward social media. Dangel chooses to live his life offline.
“I’ve been invited to all these groups and I constantly get it. I get it from my MIT alumni. I get it form my high school alumni. You know all these different groups they want you to join Facebook. The only reason I haven’t done it is my cup is full,” said Dangel.
He is busy with gigs for his accordion playing and his barbershop quartet. He even sings with barbershop chorus called the Harmonizers.
Although Dangel doesn’t see himself joining the social media trend any time soon, that isn’t stopping others in his age group. And organizations like AARP are paying attention.
“Since 2011 fifty plus America has been the fastest growing demographic on Facebook. So we’ve actually caught the generational wave,” said Tammy Gordon AARP’s Vice President of Social Communications. AARP’s Fan page started 2012 with 80,000 likes and currently has more than 1 million.
AARP is picking up on the trend reported in the 2012 Pew Internet & American Life Project. The study revealed that 53 percent of those 65 years and older use the internet. This is the largest spike from this age group after several years of marginal growth.
Dangel does leave the door open to joining social media, “I probably will, maybe when I’m 95,” said Dangel.