I was pleased to read, in yesterday’s Daily Post, that Pagosa library patrons can participate twice a month in a program called ‘Senior Planet’ — developed by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
Except the organization is no longer called ‘American Association of Retired Persons’. They changed the name to ‘AARP’ in 1999 when they realized that a third of their members were not retired… but in fact, still had to work at jobs in order to pay their membership dues.
Who can retire, these days? Not me. Have you seen the price of beef lately?
But to get back to the subject at hand, the first ‘Senior Planet’ class at the Sisson Library will be held today (Friday, March 1) at 11:30pm.
From the ‘Senior Planet’ website:
Senior Planet Community is our social media platform designed specifically for older adult users. Engage in thought-provoking discussions, make new friends, and share resources all on a safe and ad-free platform.
If I know seniors, they generally like to be safe and ad-free. Unless the ads include clickable coupons for product discounts. (Something sorely missing from the Daily Post.)
The online community kicked off in March 2022, and in just two years, has surpassed 10,000 registered users. “A significant growth milestone, especially for a social platform dedicated exclusively to older adults. Something exciting must be happening there!”
One of those exciting things is written articles — on a wide range of topics. But I had to laugh at the illustration in the page heading, showing a stack of newspapers.
Like, does anyone still read newspapers?
I mean, except for the coupons. (Yes, that’s a sore spot for me.)
The ‘Senior Planet’ article topics include:
I admit I was surprised to see “Sex” on the list.
I also noticed the list of topics, in which seniors are invited to engage through “thought-provoking discussions”, does not include “Politics”. Maybe older adults are not interested in politics — unless they are running for President, I mean.
Today’s event at the Sisson Library will reportedly include instructions about how to engage with the Senior Planet Community, even when you’re not physically at the library. Maybe you’re riding the bus? And you have your phone handy? And you want to engage in a “thought-provoking discussion” about sex?
I can imagine that happening.
Senior Planet is a project by OATS. In 2004, a guy named Tom Kamber and a group of dedicated volunteers launched Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) with a mission to help seniors learn and use technology, so they could live better in the digital age. For a few years, they focused on East Coast seniors, but in 2018, foundation grants of more than $3 million helped expand Senior Planet into Texas and Colorado, and a couple of international partnerships brought OATS to Israel and Spain.
When i turned 60, I had a sense of anticipation, because I knew I could finally join AARP and look forward to a printed magazine arriving in my mailbox, with an older person like myself on the cover.
Then I learned that AARP had lowered the membership age to 50 years old.
That was ten years of AARP magazines I’d had to steal, unnecessarily, from the dentist office.
And now… it’s all available online. Even while riding the bus.
What a wonderful world we live in.
Underrated writer Louis Cannon grew up in the vast American West, although his ex-wife, given the slightest opportunity, will deny that he ever grew up at all.