One silver lining of the pandemic for silver seniors, is that texting and social media provide a lot of joy, now that they've learned the easy method for bonding with their grandkids.

According to a new poll, Americans over 65 have finally mastered the art of texting-and 33 percent of them now prefer texting to phone calls.

The survey also revealed that their favorite emoji was the heart, which tied with the happy face, with 43% using those the most. Other popular senior emoji favorites included the beer mug and assorted animals.

One in 10 respondents even surpassed emoji use and now send GIFs as a fun way to stay in touch with their grandchildren.

The pandemic prompted one in three seniors to learn how to use social media. And, nearly one in five (17%) were introduced to Netflix by their kids or grandkids.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Comfort Keepers, the results found that while people are thankful tech has kept them connected, nothing beats an in-person visit.

55% of seniors prioritized seeing family the most, compared to a similar study conducted in 2020 that found dining at a restaurant topped the post-pandemic to-do list.

Lockdown restrictions, it seemed, did result in more appreciation for connecting with family.

It also seems the pandemic will have a long-term impact on respondents' day-to-day lives, with four out of 10 saying they learned how to "stop and smell the roses."

And what a heartwarming reason to embrace texting: their grandkids.

PLACE This on Social Media to Show You Know How! (LOL)… Featured photo by Jana Sabeth