Wesbster's definition of a Baby Boomer: Anyone born between the years of 1946-1964.
My definition: Someone whose life has been chronicled through the decades.
The Father Knows Best Fifties: Baby Boomers Enter School!
The Turbulent Sixties: Baby Boomers Tune In, Turn Off and Drop Out.
Feel-Good Seventies: Baby Boomers Join the Workforce
Yuppified Eighties: Baby Boomers Give Birth
Dot.Com Nineties: Baby Boomers Reach Middle Age!
Which brings us to the 21st Century. Where millions of Baby Boomers are now retiring, becoming grandparents and are you ready for this headline? Baby Boomers Are Blogging!
Yes, believe it or not, those of us over 50 really are computer savvy. We may not have grown up with cellphones or laptops, but as the media portrays, we learn quickly.
And we are quickly catching up to the Mommy Bloggers. Granted, they still have a larger fraction of the online population (which I attribute to their coming of age with this technology) but we Baby Boomers have a large advantage: more experience, thus more topics to blog about.
On everything from sex (Yes! We still do it) to anti-aging miracle creams. (When one exists, I'll be the first to let you know.)
We blog about how to survive the empty nest, how to increase brain power, hot flashes, the hottest spots to visit, retirement, grand parenting, living with disabilities, relocating, second chances, books, death, love. In other words, we blog about LIFE.
And we blog for a number of reasons.
To educate: Walker Thornton says, "I began to see a need for serious conversation about sex, menopause and dating geared to boomer adults. I think our demographic is hungry for information that is written specifically for our needs, is age-appropriate, matter-of-fact and educational."
For self expression: Linda Wolfe eloquently explains, "Having something for me after all those years of putting myself at the bottom of the list, as many mothers do, and having a voice that could be heard beyond the confines of home or playground felt incredible."
To share: Being a novelist, one of my favorite blogs is Books is Wonderful. In Helene Bludman's words, "I started blogging as a prelude to writing a book. I came to enjoy expressing my thoughts and sharing them with others by way of my blog. Because I am a book lover, I decided to make book reviews part of my blog as well."
To empower: Many of us feel the same as Cathy Chester. "I want to leave this world knowing that I made a mark on someone else's heart."
For Community: In addition to niche blogs, there are sites like Boomeon. Says Founder and President William Murphy, "I launched Boomeon because I felt that we Baby Boomers needed and deserved a modern, up-to-date community that was exclusively by, for and about us. We as a generation have always been about innovation and change, and I'm proud that Boomeon has been keeping our generational identity alive."
And we are quite alive, with no intention of leaving the internet any time soon.
In fact, after moving my mom into a retirement village this past year, I realize even more than ever, the importance of blogging and my online friends. My mom's friendships are limited to those around her. As she grows older, her circle of friends grows smaller.
For me, at any given time I can log on and find a friend. It gives me comfort knowing that as I grow into old age, I'll always have someone to communicate with.
I'm not sure how that communication will exist. Probably not by blog or vlog. But by a medium not yet invented. Something currently inside the head of a preschooler who loves taking apart his grandmother's iPhone.
I can see that future headline: Oldest Living Baby Boomer Takes Last Breath After Posting Final Words!
Yes, you can bet on it. We're going to "Keep on Truckin'" to the very end.
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