My mother recently announced a desire to join Facebook. While at first the thought of my 65-year-old mom "poking" people or "liking" things scared me, I soon realized this could be a good thing. And according to a Pew Internet Project Tracking Survey completed in August of 2012, more seniors are using social media than ever before.

"Thirty-eight percent of adult social media users are over the age of 65," said Mary Madden, a research associate at the Pew Internet Center. "One in 3 online seniors say they use social networking sights."

Madden said most of the growth took place between 2009 and 2011 because of the desire to stay connected to family and friends when geography gets in the way.

"This is a pretty unique moment in time where grandkids and grandparents can be interacting at the same time, and more seniors are getting a taste of this and seeing the benefits," Madden said.

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