Silver Surfers

Experts foresee a surge of seniors online by 2010

by Barbara Neal Varma

   When 19-year-old Allie Ludwig's purse was stolen her first night in Barcelona, her mother, Patty, in Irvine, suddenly had a dire need to communicate with her. Lucky for them, these are not the times of rotary telephones and messenger pigeons, and Patty, 54, had already embraced computers, despite growing up during a time when an Apple was an apple.

   The thieves got Allie's purse, passport and cell phone. But not her laptop.

   Later that night, mother and child were reunited using Skype, a free videophone service on the Internet that let Patty both see and hear her youngest girl was okay. That night, Patty's computer was her portal to her daughter over a thousand miles away.    

   Next Stop: The Computer Zone

   
   But not all seniors are ready to dive in. Only 31 percent of seniors 65 and older have ever gone online, estimates a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, compared to a hefty 70 percent of 50-64 year-olds. This digital divide is theorized to stem from life experiences. Consider: When adults 65-and-older were growing up, "high tech" inventions included power steering, Sony transistor radios and Saran Wrap. UNIVAC 1, the first commercial computer, didn't debut until 1951 (the same year Super Glue was born), and on black and white TVs, The Twilight Zone spoke of dangers lurking in the fifth dimension. In a small town called Anaheim, a voyage to Mars consisted of sitting on seat cushions that deflated during "take off" at Disneyland.
      

   In the blink of a lifetime, 60-something seniors have seen e-mail replace handwritten letters, blogs overwrite diaries, and telephones morph into handheld communicators that play the latest Flavor Flav song instead of ring. (Flav-ah who?) What school kids now research, or "Google," with nimble speed, their grandparents and great grandparents used to look up in the World Book encyclopedia. If it wasn't there, assuming you had the latest gold leaf edition, it simply didn't exist.

   My Space, My Pace 

   
   Sinclair believes better information and education is vital in helping older adults navigate the Internet's brave new world. Virginia agrees. After a basic show-and-tell from her son, she picked up the rest of her computer skills herself, but knows there's more to learn. "It's funny, my older friends think I'm a wiz on the computer and my kids and grandkids think I'm completely illiterate." A variety of training programs, support groups and free community classes have cropped up to help bridge the education gap. Senior-supported Web sites offer online tutorials, computer basics, and the ever-popular peer support. Older folks can also find assistance the old-fashioned way: via computer how-to books borrowed from their local public library.

   
   Tech support from friends and family also helps seniors know where to look when crossing the Information Superhighway. Since the vast majority of the over-50 crowd who use the Internet do so most often from their homes (84 percent, the Kaiser study reports), being able to manage the technology and resolve technical problems that develop is critical. When a friend or family member can't be found, the larger electronic stores offer a toll-free Help Line or, for a fee, a "geek squad" representative to make house calls.

   
   Caution: Some Web sites may provide inaccurate or incomplete information. It's important to teach (not just) seniors to check the source of information they find online. Internet users should verify data is not tainted by marketers more interested in selling than telling about a product. Seniors should watch for scams that prey on the elderly. Don't talk to strangers online, never open unsolicited e-mails, keep your antivirus programs updated, and use sites marked with "https"; the "s" indicates a secure location.

   E-ticket Ride

   
   But with a little TLC (Tender Loving Caution), savvy seniors can find a wealth of information, services and support on the Web. Online health and medical information, banking services, even travel plans can be made from the convenience of a home computer.

   
   "I didn't have to get up at 5:00 a.m. to book our flights to go see Allie," Patty says about their recent trip to Spain to see their daughter, now safely tucked in a Barcelona apartment with new purse and passport. "We've traveled overseas before and you always have to account for the time difference, but this time I did everything online during daylight hours. It was great. Technology today…" she pauses, eyes wide. "I don't know how we ever got along without it."

   A sentiment Virginia seconds. "I told my son I need to do more things on the computer now. He thinks I've got all I need but I'm getting revved up to buy a new one."

   
   She's also revving up to break thirty thousand on Mahjong. Game on!