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Unlike McCain, many seniors depend on the Web
By JOCELYN NOVECK If Sen. John McCain is really serious about becoming a Web-savvy citizen, perhaps Kathryn Robinson can help. Robinson is now 106-that's 35 years older than McCain-and she began using the Internet at 98, at the Barclay Friends home in West Chester, Pa., where she lives. "I started to learn because I wanted to e-mail my family," she says -in an e-mail message, naturally. .... Blogs have been buzzing recently over McCain's admission that when it comes to the Internet, "I'm an illiterate who has to rely on his wife for any assistance he can get." "He's fully capable of browsing the Internet and checking Web sites," Buchanan said. "He has a Mac and uses it several times a week. He's working on becoming more familiar with the Internet." That's a good thing, says Tobey Dichter, CEO of Generations on Line, a group that helps bring seniors - including the 106-year-old Robinson-into the digital age. "He needs the self-empowerment" of going online himself, says Dichter. "There are too many people surrounding John McCain who are willing to print an e-mail for him" -or do a search on his behalf, like the aides who, he says, show him the Drudge Report. "But that cheats him of an opportunity to let his own mind take him to the next link," says Dichter. "If he doesn't know what links are available, he will only get exactly what he's asking for, and nothing more." .... What keeps some American seniors unwired? Some lack immediate access to a computer, Dichter says. But intimidation, she says, is the greatest problem..... But, Dichter says, such people often change their minds when they realize they can get family pictures via e-mail-not to mention health information, support groups, and local community news..... Robinson credits her computer with helping her withstand the effects of a stroke she suffered in 2003. "In my case I had a stroke and as a result could not talk," she says in her e-mail. "The computer has been a lifesaver for me." Excerpted and printed with permission - Associated Press July 2008 | |||||||
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May 15, 2008, Hartford Courant: Seniors Increasingly Comfortable with Surfing the Net
By KORKY VANN; Courant Staff Writer Old age brings a number of physical challenges, including arthritis, diabetes, hearing loss or high blood pressure, and the Internet is a good source of information and updates on services, programs and treatments. But when seniors go online, they're not looking for medical information, according to a report released earlier this year by Generations On Line, (www.generationsonline.com), a simplified Internet program used by more than 30,000 seniors in 1,300 facilities nationwide. Older Americans new to net surfing, the research shows, are most interested in researching arts, entertainment, culture and religion. "It's big bands to the Bible," says Tobey Dichter, Generations On Line founder and CEO. "Close to half of the searches last year were for entertainment, religion, arts and culture and news. Health and medicine don't even make the top five." There's a good reason for disconnect, says Dichter. "For many older individuals, everyday life revolves around illnesses, aches and pains and doctor visits," says Dichter. "When they realize that the Internet can provide a window onto any subject they can imagine, the sky's the limit. It's a passport to another world." An elderly woman who discovered that she could look up the city where she was born in Russia is a good example. "She sat for two hours with tears in her eyes, just looking at the picture. She simply couldn't believe this was possible," says Dichter. "We hear these stories all the time. It's a mind-blowing experience for people." But too few older Americans are familiar with what the Internet has to offer. Estimates are that as many as 21 million Americans 65 and older are not "wired." Dichter's nonprofit organization encourages elder computer literacy by providing specially programmed computer software tutorials to senior centers, public libraries, retirement homes and other locations where older people congregate. Facilities pay a small fee for the programming; seniors use it for free. "You'll hear statistics that indicate that older adults are the fastest growing group of Internet users, which is true," says Dichter. "But the reality is the majority of seniors still are not online, which makes it increasingly difficult for them to access information. When a senior who does not use a computer reads an article about a program that might be of benefit, and all there is for contact information is a 'www dot com' address, it's not just a marginalizing experience, it's lack of equal access to resources, which is a civil rights issue." Although older adults do experience gradual declines in cognitive abilities as part of the normal aging process, they can successfully use computers if the online information is provided in an age-appropriate manner. The Generations Online program contains large print and short, clear segments of information in easy-to-understand language, ongoing step-by-step instructions and self-guided tutorials for its four applications - "Look it Up," a multilingual search in 36 languages; "Send a Postcard," a full service e-mail program; "More Choices," links to websites of interest to seniors and Memories," which links users to an intergenerational oral history project with 9- and 10-ear-old students. "Age is not a barrier to using a computer, if you demystify the process. Our oldest user is 106," says Dichter. "She started surfing the net when she was 99." Contact Korky Vann at kvann@courant.com Copyright (c) 2008, THE HARTFORD COURANT. Reprinted with permission. | |||||||
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February 12, 2008: Big Bands and the Bible Lead Searches by Seniors
Older Americans new to Internet searching are most interested in arts and entertainment, culture and religion, according to a report released today by Generations on Line, a simplified Internet program used by more than 30,000 seniors in 1300 facilities nationwide. "It's Big Bands to the Bible," said Tobey Dichter, Founder and CEO. "More than a third of the searches last year were for music, television, museums, hobbies, books, history, and religion," she said. "Interestingly, health and medicine don't even make the top five, and Oprah Winfrey remains one of the most searched for terms by seniors." Rankings are listed below: Generations on Line Search Term Report Oct '06-Oct '07
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