Liven Up Your Facility with YouTube!

Want to bring some serious fun into your community? Consider YouTube! It is the clear social media winner across all generations in the United States, and especially for the senior market. Leading the charge ahead of other social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, YouTube sets the gold standard, with nearly 3 billion users every month, and 1 billion hours of content consumed every day. According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 84% of U.S. adults use the platform, ahead of Facebook (71%) and Instagram (50%). 

With these kinds of figures, it is no wonder that YouTube serves a large demand for a television audience, whether that’s educating users on how to fix a flat tire, make a simple chicken noodle soup, or learn the basics of algebra. 

Bringing the Joy of YouTube to Your Residents

How does YouTube do such a great job engaging the senior crowd? There’s no doubt there is something for everyone on the platform, and the senior demographic is an important part of that. For the 55+ crowd, usage ranks about 20%. In addition, 65% of seniors aged 65+ regularly watch YouTube. That’s a decent sized group!

So why not explore using YouTube as a form of entertainment within your facility and bring the joy of it to your residents? Changing up the typical forms of entertainment for something more fun for your residents would be a great way to liven up the living room! 

YouTube is not limited to your handheld device. You can watch YouTube on television with the right app. In fact, the 65+ demographic is YouTube’s fastest-growing segment just on television, accounting for a significant portion of total TV usage, and it is the number one video platform for Baby Boomers. Their usage even rivals viewers under 11 years old! 

Seniors spend an average of 26 minutes daily on the platform. With that, according to Neilsen, there has been a noticeable decline in the use of regular cable television with the rise of streaming. In fact, several cable networks have lost about three-quarters of their audience with viewers gravitating towards streaming services. 

YouTube also offers a rare opportunity for your residents to engage with each other while in their shared living space. Rather than just have a talk show drone in the background, why not put on a fun channel that allows them to connect with each other while watching an interesting video on gardening? Maybe a couple of your residents don’t know that they shared a common interest in the hobby, and the video enables an easy way to connect and get to know each other. An easy way to make friends and build community!

The Opportunities for Seniors are Endless

YouTube is really one great way to diversify their entertainment. The amount of niche content available on YouTube is extensive enough to keep your residents entertained for hours at a time. Besides the basic activities scheduled on the activity calendar such as bingo and knitting, why not broadcast the YouTube channel on your shared television and let them discover all sorts of content available?

It also gives a source of inspiration for the resident, giving them a reason to try new things. Maybe that video on how to take care of bee friendly plants gives them the energy and inspiration to try it. Or watching an easy exercise video encourages them to try some new moves. What are the most popular niches on YouTube for seniors? Home improvement and DIY, slow travel and outdoor activities, longevity and preventative health, wealth management, and technology support are several of the big ones. 

Just the online discovery of so much content is one great reason to explore the platform. Just imagine how much joy one of your residents would get just from watching an historical documentary video, or learning about the interesting lives of old Hollywood actors. Right now there’s a lot of the typical talk and news shows on TV, and watching episodes of “The View” just may be boring and not inspire the kind of enjoyment that many of the niche channels YouTube offers. Plus these network and cable channels don’t offer the kind of control YouTube provides, letting you select the kind of videos that you want to watch. 

The Rise of YouTube Videos

So why is YouTube so popular? Video is the name of the game. The rise of free, diverse video content over the last several years has helped yield the popularity of the network. It is also very accessible and very easy to use for the average person. Did you know that the human brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than text? Viewers also remember 95% of a message compared to just 10% for text. 

Video also engages several senses, including sight and hearing. It seizes your attention with everything from music to animation. It is also more accessible than ever before, so besides watching videos on television, you can access them on your mobile device. 

So how does YouTube understand just what kind of videos to show? Well, what the platform does is recognize watch time and retention. If you watch a video to the end or rewatch segments, the system scores this as a strong positive signal. On the other hand, skipping a video indicates a poor match. The algorithm will adapt to your device, time of day, and location.

YouTube Channels for Seniors

So what channels would garner the attention of your residents? Here are a few that just might spur their interest:

Dearly Departed Tours: Founded by Scott Michaels, this channel offers insights into the lesser-known aspects of old Hollywood. Delving into its darker side, he shares strange stories, notorious landmarks, and neglected graves. His work has even attracted the attention of Quentin Tarantino! He also provides driving and walking tours of various significant historical locations around LA. From celebrity deaths to vintage movie filming sites, this channel is a must-watch!

Pasta Grannies: A fun, lighthearted Youtube channel started by Vicky Bennison features real Italian grannies – also known as nonnas - and their fun, original recipes straight from Italy. The different ladies share how to make that secret Italian pasta from Tuscany, or that authentic Italian rustic bread. She also has a podcast. 

Grand Illusions: Boasting over 2 million subscribers, this popular channel showcases special and unique toys with unusual mechanisms, designed to amaze, puzzle, or add a touch of magic. Founded by Tim Rowett, these items also include optical illusions and science, making them excellent for mental stimulation. 

Old Me Living Better: Launched by Old Mike at the ripe old age of 80, it just goes to show it’s never too late to start a new chapter in your life! He goes by the motto, “If you ain’t dead, you ain’t done” and he provides the proof in the pudding with his fun YouTube channel on how he got started launching his channel. Educational and resourceful, he also talks about how he got from 0 to nearly 45K subscribers in just 16 months! He even has a podcast. 

Cyber-Seniors Corner: Featuring a rap video from a 93-year old senior, this popular channel blends humor and education into an interesting assortment of content. What began as a contest to create the most-viewed video gained viral fame after an 89-year old lady made a grilled cheese sandwich using a clothes iron and corn on the cob in a kettle.

2nd Act TV: With dating and relationship advice for those in the 50+ crowd, this YouTube channel was started by Silke, who features dating and relationship experts talking about those modern topics that seniors would be interested in.

Brenda Kay Burnett Beauty: Beauty tips for the mature, aging woman, this pleasant host makes aging gracefully look easy, with her video shorts on everything from applying eyeshadow to using lipliner over thinning lips. Wearing makeup doesn’t have to stop when you hit 60! 

Senior Fitness with Meredith: We all know how important movement is for both physical and mental health. Reinforcing a positive mindset, this YouTube channel is geared towards the seniors at all levels and demonstrates many types of light exercise, from resistance band workouts to seated cardio marching. 

Ellen’s Healthy Kitchen: Eating for body and mind is the name of the game on this YouTube channel! At 71, Ellen focuses on a whole food, plant based diet where she uses items from the fridge, freezer, and pantry to make very simple meals. She uses ingredients like rice and veggies to create concoctions that are healthy and easy to prepare for the 50+ crowd. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be flavorless - she makes oil-free salad dressings that are simple to make. 

YouTube adds a fun spin to your facility! Besides increasing engagement among residents, the stimulating content and the exercise of the mind is also great for a senior’s mental health and wellbeing. They will be appreciative of the fresh perspective (and fun) YouTube content offers just for them.