Richard Bosack joined Facebook on Thursday, after his buddy Ray Urbans recommended the ubiquitous social networking site a few days earlier. Bosack is 89. Urbans is 96.

The two Elmhurst men might be viewed as curiosities in an arena that is considered the proprietary realm of teens, 20-somethings, 30-somethings and their moms.

But the hottest growth segment in online social networking sites is guys like Richard and Ray and their lady friends. That's right. Grampy and Grammy are down with "the Face."

Social networking use among Internet users 65 and older grew by a staggering 100 percent in the last year, a Pew Research Center survey reports. In 2009, social networking use by folks 65 and older stood at 13 percent. This year, 26 percent of people in that age group who are using the Internet also are delving into Facebook and other social networking sites, the phone survey of 2,252 showed.

Read More