Savvy Cyber-surfing Seniors Narrow Digital Divide

In "the day," Timothy Leary coined the phrase "turn on, tune in, drop out". But before becoming the stuff legends are made of, he, too, dropped in, leading the way for "wired" seniors (Americans age 65 and older) to get online. Since his death, more than nine million cyber-surfing seniors have gone online, making seniors one of the fastest-growing Internet segments.

Seniors are avid information seekers, and the Internet provides them with the opportunity to read the news; look for information on government websites; find religious or spiritual material; analyze financial information; research details about a specific disease, treatment, or drug; create virtual book clubs; and explore their family's history or genealogy. Wired seniors also use the Internet to make purchases, plan and book travel, and buy or sell stocks, mutual funds, or bonds online.

Wired seniors are often as enthusiastic as their younger counterparts in the activities that define online life. In a recent study by Pew Internet & American Life, seniors reported spending more than five hours per week online and checking their email everyday. In fact, today's cyber seniors are quickly becoming an experienced, savvy group of users who are even willing to try making online telephone calls.

Nonetheless, not all senior citizens find the Internet a useful tool. Despite the increase in online usage, eight in ten off-line seniors do not think they will ever use the Internet. Off-line seniors simply don't see its value, arguing that learning to go online is a hassle and that the entire experience is too complicated.

But the Internet cannot be ignored. It is quickly becoming a necessary tool as indicated by the substantial rise in online communication and information dissemination. Consider, for example, that U.S. Savings Bonds will soon be sold only through the Internet. Banking systems are trying to get people to bank online. Airlines charge additional fees for printing paper tickets, but not for electronic tickets. More organizations and agencies send an electronic newsletter to save money.

With in-home, community learning centers, and destination programs filling in the gap, the digital divide is slowly closing. Non-proftit organizations such as Generations Online, based in Philadelphia, Penn., is working to provide self-training software to senior centers, libraries, and retirement homes in order to guide those who have no computer experience through basic Internet functions. SeniorNet of San Francisco, Calif., provides education and access to computer technologies to older adults. King County Seniors Online, based in Seattle, Wash., offers basic computer classes designed to introduce seniors to the fundamentals of computer use. Even AARP, in Washington, D.C., offers courses on basic and intermediate web browsing.

Other companies are also working to make websites more senior-friendly by following usability guidelines. According to Jakob Nielsen, Ph.D., principal of the Nielsen Norman Group of Fremont, Calif., sites that are successfully aimed at seniors have a good conceptual model that is based on a human-centered design process. Sites, such as FirstGov.gov (http://www.firstgov.gov/Topics/Seniors.shtml), the U.S. Government's Official Portal, provide seniors with valuable information and a comfortable web experience, contributing to the overall growth in older surfers.

There's no doubt that cyber-surfing seniors are narrowing the distance between those who are and are not attached to the online world. But it won't be until the Baby Boomers (who are currently between the ages of 50 and 58) retire before the digital divide has been bridged.

Laura D.L. Bracken is the owner of Design Spike, Inc., a Web design and development company.