We Learn from Each Other: Informal Learning in a Facebook Community of Older Adults

Abstract

Older adults represent a growing population of users participating in Facebook communities. Sharing and posting in these platforms exhibit information exchanges that can be considered as informal learning in social media. Although research uncovered rich details of informal learning of older adults in online communities, studies based on social media communities remain a research frontier. In using a netnographic approach, we add to the limited literature and collected social media data from thirty-one (31) members of a Facebook community of older adults. A total of 1076 posts and 631 comments were collected. We applied thematic analysis using the social exchange theory as our theoretical foundation and found three salient themes in the analysis of information exchanges namely (1) Keeping healthy, (2) Ensuring safety, and (3) Family relationships. We present the current state of research in the use of online communities of older adults to support informal learning, discuss our methodology, state our findings, and highlight the implications of this study.