As more seniors join social networks many young are moving away from social networks like Facebook according to a new report.

According to PEW Research, social networking appeals to older adults for three reasons:

1. They want to reconnect with people from their past.
2. As a gathering place for multiple generations, social networks are useful to parents for learning about the lives of their children and grandchildren.
3. People with chronic diseases are more likely to reach out to others online, and older people are more likely to have a chronic disease.

A post at eMarketer makes an interesting point, in the short term Facebook maybe an ideal way for marketers to reach a wide spectrum of audiences in the age of media fragmentation, it may prove to be too much for some, just as it was for MySpace.

“But those first two reasons are also a good indication of why young people may begin shying away from Facebook and having conversations elsewhere, if they haven’t already. Already hyper-vigilant about their privacy and what they share, young users may stop considering social networks cool when their parents join—let alone their grandparents.

Meanwhile, as teens and millennials grow up and enter the work force, instead of reconnecting, they may actually want to disassociate themselves from past immaturities and prying eyes in what is an increasingly public setting.”