Social media and the modern grandparents

As the Philippine Christmas festivities are starting to engulf everyone’s spirits, there is a sweet and less-celebrated occasion this month that deserves its own recognition. Grandparents’ Day, celebrated every second Sunday of September, is a secular holiday which commemorates the bond between grandparents and grandchildren.

The advent of social media has not only birthed a multitude of information but has perpetually altered the way people communicate and the way they handle day-to-day activities. With the ever-changing landscape of social media, seasoned and veteran actors — The World Between Us star Dina Bonnevie, Las Hermanas actor Albert Martinez, Nagbabagang Luha director Ricky Davao and actress-director Gina Alajar — reveal how often their kids and grandchildren use social media and their opinion on youth these days, who are adept at today’s technology.

Dina Bonnevie: “My grandchildren are so tech-savvy. Caela, Danica’s daughter, makes her videos and uploads them. Mic, Danica’s son, is very good at gaming and researching subjects of interest on the computer or his parents’ mobile phones. Kiel and Ondrea use the Internet for their studies, too.

“I find it an advantage that they know how to fix a phone or configure it because today’s technology is fast-moving and always changing so they have to keep up with the times rather than get left behind.”

Albert Martinez: “Social media changed the world. It has influenced most of our kids because, now, life is being posted on a daily basis — about what’s going on and what they’re thinking. We, parents and grandparents, can now monitor the well-being of our kids on social media.

“But then again, there are two sides to every coin. Social media is not too good if it becomes too personal and you get too involved with the online community and it creates trouble if you don’t manage it well. I believe the best way to handle it is to be more careful.”

Ricky Davao: “My kids use social media a lot. It’s a very powerful tool, especially during this time when a lot of people work from home and can’t see each other. I personally always ask for help from my children in terms of technology. I think it is good and very useful. But their lives should not revolve around it.”

Gina Alajar: “My children, who are all married now and have their own families, use social media in everything they do. My eldest son Ryan and his wife Cathy are what they call influencers. My eldest grandchild has an Instagram account but rarely uses it while my three-year-old grandchild is very fond of TikTok.

“From what I can see with the younger generation, they can easily navigate the computers. I encourage this because they have to know how technology works at a young age. It would not be difficult for them to adapt to new technology in the years to come. Unlike me, who had a difficult time adjusting and is still not tech-savvy up to now. I just know the basics but it ends there.”

Apart from the younger generation’s fixation on social media, the established actors and directors also give their two cents on how the Internet has changed the entertainment industry and the way people perceive celebrities.

Dina: “Before, you had to go to a movie house to see a movie or buy a DVD. You need money for every movie or concert you want to see. But today, entertainment has become so accessible on several platforms and apps. Social media has also made celebrities accessible to fans. You get daily updates on your favorite stars for free. No need to buy magazines because you can even talk to them if they do a live stream session.

“Before, fans saw celebrities as unreachable, scarce, and seeing them would be a great opportunity but now people feel like they know the celebrities more because they get to take a peek at their private lives. Celebrities have less privacy and the public feels privy to their affairs.”

Albert: “As far as the entertainment industry is concerned, now, it can self-promote an artist through social media. The problem here is that celebrities are also getting too personal by posting way too much for people to know. Privacy is becoming nothing anymore because you are part of the public domain.”

Ricky: “In numerous ways! It is another form of entertainment that has opened up other ways to put out content and for others to earn a living. It has also helped others get a peek into the lives of people they are interested in or idolize. Great source to hear different perspectives.”

Gina: “Social media has direct access to anyone unless the person made his/her account private otherwise, celebrities are very open to the public now. Since I am a private person and not really into sharing my personal life with people, I choose what I post.”