Amy O'Rourke, an aging expert, found that out firsthand when her godson shamed her over the length of a text she sent him. "OK, so there's rules out there, and I don't know what they are," O'Rourke said. She pointed people to Emily Post and Miss Manners for up-to-date guidance.
Gerontologist "Sam" Cradduck said the rules have never stood still. They differ from decade to decade, she said.
Dr. Rhea Rogers, a board-certified physician, said older adults grew up when a handshake meant something. Now scams and fast relationships are growing alongside new technology. Older adults are looking for interaction and trust, Rogers said, which is why they need to be careful. Some things don't change, she said, including "consistency, transparency."
Relationships that once took years to build now often start on social media, Cradduck said. "The walls are gone," she said, and people end up telling intimate details to a virtual stranger. Everyone has fallen into it, not just kids or older people. To guard against fraud, O'Rourke suggested picking a buddy to check in with before you respond to a message.