Keeping in touch the modern way
By Mike O’Brien, Minister for Pensions Reform
In the past, when grown children moved away – taking the grandchildren with them – it was sometimes hard for grandparents to feel they were still part of their family’s lives.
Today, thanks to the explosion in ‘silver surfers’, many grandparents are still managing to maintain their family connections, even if their kids and grandkids live a plane ride away.
Elspeth Fhima, 64, has two married children and three grandchildren living outside the UK.
“I use the email a lot, to send messages and pictures to my kids and grandkids,” she said. “A little while back, my daughter introduced me to Facebook, so now I’m starting to use that a lot as well, to stay in touch with my daughters-in-law both in the UK and in the States, and to get pictures of the little ones. Recently, I’ve also found a few former work colleagues on Facebook, who I’ve now got reacquainted with.”
Elspeth is not alone. According to the Office of National Statistics, more than half of people over 55 are now internet-savvy – up from just 30 per cent in 2002.
A decade ago it may have been accurate to say the internet was a ‘young’ phenomenon, but a quarter of all internet users are now over the age of 50, with people over 65 spending more hours online, on average, than any other age group.
Of course, there are many good reasons why the internet is proving popular with older people.
Like Elspeth, people can reconnect with old friends or stay in touch with family members – something that becomes increasingly important as people age, and their friends and spouses pass on or move away.
It’s not easy for any of us to admit we get lonely. But if anyone loses their spouse, retires to a different area or moves into sheltered accommodation, loneliness can often be the single biggest challenge facing them.
This is where the internet can really come into its own. If you’ve got a question about your pension entitlements or about the local bus routes in your new area, the internet can help find the answers.
If you are looking for a support group to help you cope with bereavement, or a dating service to help you get back in the swing of things, the internet can be a treasure trove of useful contacts and information.
And if you have a particular interest or hobby, with minimal internet know-how you can join a forum or online community. The opportunities for making new friends, creating social networks, or even just maintaining your independence, are endless.
But while internet use is increasing among the over 50s, many older people still admit to being scared of computers.
That’s one reason why Age Concern launched its Digital Inclusion Network – a project designed to improve older people’s IT skills for life and work.
The network, which is supported by BT, offers funding, support and information to any organisations, schools, training centres, community groups, and charities who want to offer ICT training to older people.
One person who overcame his computer phobia was 77-year-old Jim Tuckwell.
Jim took early retirement from the Civil Service because he didn’t want to use computers at work. But in 2002, he joined a computer course being offered by his sheltered housing scheme in Andover, Hants – and never looked back.
As well as producing sing-a-long hymn sheets, Jim is using the internet to find old musicals and burn them on to CDs. He’s also got involved with an inter-generational project at his local school, including helping the children with their reading and writing.
Jim was named Silver Surfer of the Year at the Silver Surfer Awards 2006. The awards are organised by Digital Unite, an organisation providing internet tuition for people in sheltered housing.
Jim’s experience shows you are never too old to starting using the internet. That’s one of the messages I hope will come across at the first GenerationXperience UK Older People’s Day, taking place on October 1. Another is that people are never too old to make new friends, develop new interests or learn new skills and we, as a society, need to make it as easy as possible for the over 50s to do exactly that.