Laura James

Does the concept of “hanging out online” truly appeal to grownups? For some, being able to connect with others through the internet is a mixture of excitement and perhaps apprehension. It is not uncommon for teenagers to help parents and grandparents with setting up social networking accounts. While those in the 35 and older demographic are increasingly more web savvy, there is no question they do not have the time or desire to lurk online in the same way that young adults and teens do. Considering the demands of their careers, aging parents, taking care of children, and the like, it is not surprising that older adults spend fewer hours online overall.

For those older adults who do choose to spend time online, there is a social networking website that may be of interest. It is called Gather.com. Its primary visitors, and participants, are older adults (those over age 35), who are keenly interested in culture and politics, highly educated, and often live in suburban areas.

The number of unique visitors to Gather.com is incredibly small compared to websites such as MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter. This is not surprising though. It is not uncommon for younger people to log into their social networking accounts at least a few times day. For older people, the idea of spending time online connecting with others electronically is usually not as appealing, if at all. It will be interesting to learn whether Gather.com is able to gain traction among the growing number of baby boomers who have dipped their toes into the social networking waters.

Gather.com members who participate by adding articles, making comments, and so on, are able to earn points that go toward cash rewards or charitable donations. The website is appealing to those who like to write short stories or articles, give their perspective, and have intelligent conversations. It is a social networking website for bloggers, authors, photographers, and writers, and others, who have zest for connecting with other talented people.

There are pros and cons to this system, of course.

Pros:

You are able to add photos, graphics and artwork on your Gather profile. You may post articles and stories for others to read. On Gather, this section is not referred to as a blog, but instead is called “articles.” Also, Gather members are able to send and receive messages. You are also able to use tags to find friends or articles that may interest you.

Cons:

You cannot add music or videos. There is not a forum or chat section. Also, there is no design system. This means you cannot edit the overall look of your profile except for when you add friends, images, and articles. If Gather.com continues growing and gaining members, I would imagine changes to what is allowed on this website will be implemented.

Currently, Gather.com has about 4.5 million members based in the USA and Canada, along with another 4 million members worldwide. The minimum age to join Gather.com is 13.