Nana, get off my Facebook

Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

The risk of receiving a dreaded Facebook friend request from your parents or even grandparents is on the increase, according to a new study.

Research has found tech-savvy older Kiwis are flocking to networking sites in greater numbers than other age groups.

Half of all New Zealanders over 55 joined websites such as Facebook in the past year, up from one in five in 2007.

The AC Nielsen survey found New Zealand has one of the highest rates of social networking in the world, with 1.8 million people or 40 per cent of the population interacting with people online last year.

Retired Auckland woman Jo Fletcher, 72, uses the Yahoo instant messaging service to connect with friends all over the world. "It's really quite wild," she said. "You feel like you're in a little clubroom."

Richard Poole, co-founder of 50+ lifestyle website grownups.co.nz, said social media can help stave off loneliness and isolation. "It has allowed people a renewed confidence in themselves. It's a bit of a safe haven."

Seniornet Federation executive officer Grant Sidaway, who runs internet workshops for older people, described the use of Facebook as a "natural phenomenon that they flock to".