Dorothy Kinzie, left, Harold Crittenden and Daniel Krc, a senior at Wheaton North, listen to an instructor discuss how to "like" a post on Facebook. (Michelle Manchir/Tribune)

Side-by-side in front of a laptop, seniors in Wheaton are learning how to poke, comment, share and find friends on Facebook with the help of, well, seniors.
Since January, seniors at Wheaton North High School have been visiting weekly with residents at Wyndemere Retirement Community, helping them set up Facebook accounts and navigate the intricacies of the popular social networking site.
The program, initiated by the retirement community, is a way to help Wyndemere’s residents, all at least 65-years-old, stay connected with their family members and friends online, and also a way for the high school seniors, who are mostly members of Wheaton North High School’s Key Club ,to stack up some community service hours, said Wyndemere Excecutive Director Erin Donaldson.
“I think there is a lot of mystery for those who aren’t actively involved in Facebook,” Donaldson said. “They know the name, they may know it from their grandchildren or family members, but there’s a lot of mystery surrounding it.”
The high schoolers, with the help of an instructor from a social media consulting group, work one-on one with students in the class of a handful of residents to show them the Facebook basics, including security options.
Jayne Quellmalz, 91, said she was moved to take the course after being encouraged by her children and grandchildren. She is hoping to learn how to post comments and send messages to her loved ones.
“It keeps me in touch with them,” Quellmalz said. “At least I can read what they do. I can’t always respond.”
The range of abilities among the students varies. Some of the residents needed help creating an email account to begin their Facebook journey, while some, like Dorothy Kinzie, 78, is a Facebook veteran who said she checks the site first thing in the morning. She uses Twitter, too, and is attending the sessions with the teens to learn how to post a photo from her new laptop.
Kinzie said more older folks should consider joining the online social networking world. She thinks some may be discouraged from media reports about bullying and stalking that happens on the sites. But if you know how to use them appropriately and safely, they are useful, she said.
While the youngest generations are still significantly more likely to use social network sites, the fastest growth has come from internet users 74 and older, according to a 2010 study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Social network site usage for this oldest cohort quadrupled since 2008, from 4 percent to 16 percent in 2010.
Wheaton North student Kyle Gehling said it’s been “cool” to help the seniors connect online and watch their progress.
“In the beginning no one really knew what Facebook was, and now he has pictures and statuses,” Gehling said about his teaching buddy, Stan Allured.