A report published late last year by the Pew Research Centre for Internet and American Life revealed that more and more elderly people are going online and using social media.
My friend recently asked me about the specs and pricing of the iPad Mini as she wanted to buy it as a birthday present for her mother, so she could have her own instead of using my friend’s to play games, watch movies and Skype with her grandkids.
Well, mum is now happily playing Candy Crush with her own iPad, and my friend has hers back.
Another happy Silver Surfer is 114-old Anna Stroehr, the oldest person in Minnesota and seventh oldest in America. She was so keen to be on Facebook that she lied about her age to sign up for an account.
The social network’s account creation page rejected Stroehr’s birth year of 1900, so she made herself more than a decade younger to become 99, and a Facebook user.
The feisty centenarian may be late in hooking up to technology, but she’s having the time of her life now Facebooking on her iPad.
Stroehr and my friend’s mother epitomise the people of their generation who are embracing the technology world and all its wonders with a mixture of awe and gusto.
A report published late last year by the Pew Research Centre for Internet and American Life revealed that more and more elderly people are going online and using social media.
Part of the Pew Internet study states, “In April 2012 the Pew Research Centre found for the first time that more than half of older adults (defined as those ages 65 or older) were internet users.
Today, 59% of seniors report they go online - a six-percentage point increase in the course of a year - and 47% say they have a high-speed broadband connection at home. In addition, 77% of older adults have a cell phone, up from 69% in April 2012.”
The report, which surveyed 1,801 American adults from August to September 2013, also disclosed that almost two-thirds of 50-64 year olds and 43% aged 65+ are now on Facebook - the strongest growth segment for the social network, up from 35% from the previous year. (Full report here: http://www. pewinternet.org/2014/04/03/ older-adults-and-technology-use/)
This trend of the elderly embracing technology is also applicable to Asia, though the stats may vary. So make way for the Silver Surfers, for they too want to ride the wave of change.