A service called Celery has empowered grandparents everywhere to keep in touch using Twitter—sans computer. Dorothy Miller is an 87-year-old grandmother who uses the Celery system, plus her fax machine, to keep in touch with her family. Instead of using a computer to send out Tweets, Dorothy Miller writes notes on paper and then the Celery system converts it into a message to be posted on Twitter.
Along with Twitter, the Celery system can also be used to send emails, messages on Facebook, and blog posts. According to the Celery system website, for those who don’t already own a fax machine, they will provide a customized Lexmark X5070 fax machine for a one-time fee of $119.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Elderly Social Media Usage
- Developing social media platforms geared towards elderly individuals who may not have access to or experience with computers could revolutionize communication in this demographic.
- Paper-to-technology Services
- Services that convert paper notes to tweets, emails or blog posts can create accessibility to social media for those who don't have the means to use a computer or other technology.
- Multifunctional Communication Services
- Expanding services that offer multiple communication channels such as email, social media, and fax messaging in one platform can provide people with options that meet all their communication needs.
Where This Applies
- Technology Industry
- Developing technology specifically geared towards the needs of the elderly population is an area of innovation that could have far-reaching impact across industries.
- Communication Industry
- Creating innovative communication solutions for people who don't have access or experience with traditional computer-based systems can expand the reach of this industry.
- Fax Machine Industry
- Offering customized fax machines with added features can increase demand for this industry through the development of hybrid technology that merges traditional and modern communication methods.
