Teens get grandparents on Facebook for family bonding

Published November 03, 2015

Separated by more than 60 years, Richard and Amanda enjoy a Facebook moment.

In a surprising shift, more teens now want their parents and grandparents on Facebook, and are taking an active role in setting up their elders' accounts.

It wasn't too long ago that most kids dreaded seeing a friend request from an older relative. However, as many as 40 percent of teens now believe the older generation is cut off from their digital world, according to a survey released today (Nov. 2) by Logicalis. The business technology consulting firm's report contains the opinions of 1,000 teens in the U.K., ages 13 to 17. Nearly 80 percent said they are actively helping their parents and grandparents get on a social site such as Facebook.

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"Our findings suggest that it is no longer 'uncool' to have elder family members as 'friends' on Facebook," Tom Kelly, managing director of Logicalis, said in a statement. "In fact, it is now one of [kids'] preferred methods of connecting" to older relatives.

In addition to connecting their families with Facebook, teens also recognize the critical role that technology will play in their futures, as 1 in 5 want to work in the IT industry. More than 1 in 10 kids have already programmed a computer, and 3 in 10 said they know what programming entails.

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Teens expressed skepticism over whether the government understands the importance of technology to the younger generation. In fact, the majority of kids surveyed said government is "out of touch" with the digital world. Over half said politicians are "simply trying to look 'cool' when it comes to technology."

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https://www.foxnews.com/tech/teens-get-grandparents-on-facebook-for-family-bonding