The 1:30pm screening of 1st ko si 3rd at Greenbelt was packed. In Makati, the first screening of a movie is free for Seniors. So not surprisingly, around 70% of the audience are Senior Citizens. One amusing scene from the film is when the newly retired Corazon started to discover Facebook. Her learning to create profile pics, finding friends and online chat were finely executed in the film, eliciting uproar and kilig from the audience.
There are an estimated 6 Million Senior Citizens in the Philippines, representing 6% of our population. In the US, there are around 80 Million. In Japan, the current concern is their aging population with people over 60 years estimated at11.5% of their ~128Million population.
Are Senior Citizens the untapped Social Media market?
As in the film, middle-class seniors have the extra time and the extra money. Money can come from retirement benefits, monthly pensions and most common in the Philippines - monthly allowances from sons, daughters and even grandchildren.
If you come to Greenbelt or Glorietta on a weekday morning, you can see the power of Senior Citizens. Very seldom do you seem them alone. They shop, watch a movie or tambay (hangout) in packs. Many of them are major decision makers in their families. It is not uncommon to see teenagers shop with their lolos and lolas (grandparents). So not only do they have the money, they have major influence as well.
Facebook and the most popular social media sites are user-friendly, however it can still be intimidating for Senior Citizens. Retail and Buy-Sell websites could look quite complex for a Senior trying online for the first time.
A Senior Citizen version of retail, banking and buy-sell website? Imagine a webpage that is a lot easier to navigate, maybe even a tutorial at the very beginning, eliminating several radio and drop-down buttons. A simple, straight-forward website that would not be intimidating for a senior.
(to be continued)
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